War For Cybertron
by Temujin's Son
Summary: War has broken out between the Autobot and Decepticon soldiers on Cybertron. The Autobots are led by Zeta Prime, the Decepticons led by Megatron. Cybertron is being destroyed and both armies are trying to find ways to end the conflict. [This is not the final draft]
1. Dramatis Mechanae

**Autobots**

**Optimus Prime/Orion Pax:** Optimus was once an ordinary Autobot dockyard worker, who held close kinship with Megatron. They formed a brotherly bond together and had heated but friendly philosophical debates on Cybertron. But after Megatron's extreme display of violence, the execution of Zeta Prime's right hand ambassador Decimus and his soldiers, the war began. Optimus at first, refused to fight his brother, continuing work at the docks. But when the Decepticons attacked Iacon, he had no other choice but to take up his axe and Ion Rifle and fight. He transforms into a Cybertronian six-wheeled freight truck, of red and blue design with orange Energon lines.

As the war continues, he is granted the title of Prime and forgets his name 'Orion Pax'. He becomes noticeably more ruthless towards the Decepticon cause.

Canadian accent.

**Bumblebee:** Bumblebee is a small Autobot, who used to race other Cybertronians in the suburbs and underground of Iacon. He has great street-fighting capabilites and a red Energon sword and shield, without a plasma cannon, and transforms into a Cybertronian sports car. True to his name, his armor is yellow with black detail and he has bright blue optics. When the war began, Bumblebee followed Optimus to defend lower Iacon against an assault, and the two have been friends since. Optimus is almost like a father to Bumblebee.

American accent.

**Ironhide: **Ironhide and Optimus were friends from before the war began. Ironhide originated from just outside Iacon and became a mechanic and weapon specialist. When the war began, Ironhide was voted in as officer and his tough and happy-go-lucky attitude towards Decepticons is what rallied the Autobots against the Decepticons, along with Optimus' charismatic and strong speeches. Ironhide has very strong, durable armor which is grey, black and red, a mortar, two Heavy Metal 2.0 guns (which are worn on the back and resemble shotguns), blue optics and a big Energon club. He transforms into a weapon truck.

His accent is very hard to place. Some compare it to British, Australian, or Canadian.

**Ratchet: **Ratchet worked in the upper level of the cities as a medic, healing those who were wounded in their duties within the city. Ratchet worked with other medics and medic-bots in his work. When the war broke out, Ratchet played a vital part, not just in healing but in combat also. He has white armor with red details and blue lifeline symbols (similar to the symbol found on Earthen medic vehicles) and transforms into a Cybertronian Ambulance. He fights with a light chaingun and close-up with an Energon saw, which resembles a v-bladed side like a chainsaw. He also has an Energon healing ray gun and a big red and green square Energon shield, similar to what Defenders use.

British accent.

**Jazz:** Jazz and Bumblebee raced alongside each other in the Circuit in the Iacon underground. He knows every single part of it like the back of his hand. When he wasn't in the Circuit, he was one of Zeta Prime's advisors and also worked with Ironhide, testing out weapons. He followed Optimus and Bee into war when the Decepticons assaulted Iacon. He also transforms into a Cybertronian sports car, of the Solstice model. His weapons include an Energon minigun, sabre and red shield. He is also smaller than Bumblebee, making him one of the smallest Autobots. He has a blue visor which covers blue optics and is good for soaking up information.

Black American accent (New York)

**Ultra Magnus: **Ultra Magnus worked at a different docks in Iacon, helping to build ships for the Autobot Senators. He also created the Wreckers. Just before Iacon was attacked, Ultra Magnus was transported to the dock where Optimus also worked. Both Ultra and Optimus look very similar, having been created in the same factory. He has pink Energon lines in pale blue and white armor, and transforms into a Cybertronian Dockyard Transport truck. He fights with a red Energon axe and shield, and a plasma rifle.

American accent, probably Minnesotan.

**Jetfire [Aerialbot]: **Jetfire worked on Trypticon Space Station with Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp, and many other flight Cybertronians. He had a strong moral compass, and was strong friends with Silverbolt and Air Raid, and Zeta Prime. When Megatron attempted to seize control of Trypticon and Starscream buckled, they fell out and Jetfire flew back to Iacon to tell the Autobots what was coming. Optimus asked for his assistance and Jetfire, intent on erasing the mistakes of the past, joined up. He designed his armor so he would be _the fastest thing _on Cybertron, the armor that is red and white. He has a left-handed plasma launcher and an Energon mace.

British accent.

**Silverbolt [Aerialbot]: **Silverbolt worked on Iacon as an Air Defense specialist, along with Air Raid. But he began becoming suspicious of Decepticon activity near Kaon, and his suspicions were confirmed after the first assault on Iacon. He joined Optimus' cause, under Zeta Prime, and went forth into combat, forfeiting no other lives but his own. He has silver armor, and fights with a missile launcher, katana, and shield made out of red Energon. He transforms into a Cybertronian Interceptor.

Canadian accent (Ontario).

**Air Raid [Aerialbot]:** Air Raid worked as a Tactical Air Defense Specialist above Iacon. He also worked on a specific training ground where he taught Autobot soldiers how to fight. He had grey and black armor with pink and yellow Energon lines, and has a plasma and mortar minigun. In close combat he dons a pink Energon broadsword and shield. He also sometimes has a sarcastic attitude. He transforms into a Cybertronian Bomber and has heavy ordinance.

American accent (Texas).

**Sideswipe:** Sideswipe worked on an outpost with his twin brother Sunstreaker and Cliffjumper, until the attack on Iacon brought them back into the city. Sideswipe has a sometimes arrogant attitude, exactly like his brother, but he joined Optimus' team without further questions. He has crimson, silver and white armor and in robot mode he can skate. He transforms into a small armored vehicle and utilizes two sabres up close.

Italian accent.

**Sunstreaker: **Sunstreaker worked on an outpost with his twin brother Sunstreaker and Cliffjumper, and several Decepticons. He has an arrogant attitude, more so than his brother, and utilizes an Energon trident and Energon launcher. He is adapted to skating and has bright orange armor, making him an easy target...if you can catch him. He transforms into a Cybertronian armored vehicle.

Italian accent.

**Cliffjumper: **Cliffjumper worked at Outpost Iacon Alpha 06, with Autobots and Decepticons. He spent a lot of time with the Decepticons, then at that time friendly. Cliffjumper looks like a twin of Bumblebee, with modified helmet and deep red armor with orange Energon lines. He utilized an Energon minigun and double gladius swords. When the assault on Iacon began, and Decepticon turned on Autobot, Cliffjumper felt betrayed and so descended into red-hot anger and killed every Decepticon in the outpost. He retains a bitter attitude towards Decepticons and transforms into a Cybertronian sports car.

American accent (Illinois).

**Hot Shot: **He is also known to his Autobot comrades as Hot Rod, due to easily getting a temper. Before the first seige on Iacon, he assisted Ultra Magnus at the dockyard, sometimes getting into fights with other dockyard workers. He also worked with the Law Enforcement of Iacon. He joined Optimus' team in the war. He has distinctive red and gold armor and fights with a red Energon mace, small round shield and twin Energon handguns. He transforms into a Cybertronian Police Car. He can also be sarcastic or too over-confident.

American accent (Californian).

**Warpath (Tactibot):** Warpath worked in Iacon Defense and was a weapon's officer. He has a blue visor covering blue optics and has pink Energon lines in his armor. He also has Cybertronian tattoos on his back, missile launchers, and a plasma shotgun. He stays his Energon bludgeon for close-quarters and seems to enjoy killing Decepticons, as he lost many soldiers to the first assault. He transforms into a Defense Tank.

American accent (Iowa).

American accent.

**[Sentinel] Zeta Prime:** Zeta Prime is the nineteenth Prime of Cybertron, and of the Autobots, after the thirteen great Primes and his predecessor: Nonimus Prime. He rallies the Autobots when needed and is a king figure in Iacon. Every Autobot is loyal to him and would die for him: except he asks that of no Autobot. He is good friends with Optimus, and Ultra Magnus, but sees much potential in Optimus. He makes Optimus' team one of the main fighting forces for the Autobots. He has white optics, blue, red and gold armor, blade staff, Primax Blade and shield, and a fusion rifle, and a weapon he developed: the Cosmic Rust cannon. He transforms into a Cybertronian Fire Response Truck.

He is the one who fought one-on-one with the traitor Megatronus Prime AKA the Fallen, and defeated him by ripping his mask off and showing his face to the thousands of Cybertronians he had betrayed. He then ended the Fallen's life by ripping his spark out.

He is a revered figure among the Autobots and a weapon's developer. He developed the idea of a space bridge: a transportation device that defies the laws of physics and takes the form of more than a hundred pillars, stored within the vaults of Iacon. This invention would play a massive part as the war unfolded.

American/British accent.

**Leadfoot [Wreckers]: **Leader of the 'Wreckers', a group of mechanics and racers who worked and lived in Iacon's underground. He has a bulky frame and is short, and quite foul of mouth. He has white armor with heavy red designs, blue optics with goggles and metallic facial hair. He has many miniguns, the Wreckers' trademark weapon, and a plasma hammer, but he is just happy with tearing Decepticons apart with his hands. Transforms into a Cybertronian Rally Car.

English accent (London).

**Roadbuster [Wreckers]: **Sometimes he sees himself as a leader, but most of the time he works alongside the Wreckers and drones to upgrade and dismantle things. He gleefully beats up and kills Decepticons, as his namesake. He is armed with miniguns and an arm-saw. He has dark green and white armor, blue visor and a helmet, and transforms into a Cybertronian Rally Car.

Scottish accent.

**Topspin [Wreckers]: **He is the quiet but sometimes sarcastic member of the Wreckers. He also upgrades machinery, and once in a while comes up with a new weapon idea with Wheeljack. He has a habit of attaching scopes to his miniguns to become "more accurate". He sometimes also has to bang Roadbuster and Leadfoot's heads together to make them see sense. He also never removes the dents or burns from his armor, saying it shows a "well-led life." He dons miniguns and an Energon sword, and wears short dreadlocks and has a silver visor, in the shape of sunglasses. His armor is blue and yellow and he transforms into a Cybertronian Rally Car.

Welsh accent.

**Mirage:** Mirage hung out first with the Wreckers, after be moved from Outpost Iacon Alpha 06 where he befriended Sideswipe. Mirage is nicknamed 'Dino' and has very high agility. When he saw that Sideswipe had joined Optimus' team, he also joined. Mirage has red-crimson armor, wristblades that can extend and latch onto objects with a cable, an Energon rifle, and blue optics. He transformed into a Cybertronian Ferrari.

Italian accent.

**Jolt: **Jolt worked with Ratchet in upper Iacon, helping to transplant parts from dead Autobots to those who need it. He followed Ratchet into Optimus' elite team. He has blue armor and yellow optics, and fights with Energon whips. He transforms into a Cybertronian sports car.

Dutch accent.

**Arcee: **She was part of Iacon law-enforcement, along with her sisters Chromia and Elita One. They share the same Spark, the same conscience, and if one feels pain, or fear, they all feel it. She can be sarcastic to other Autobots, but she is very focused, as is Chromia and Elita. Arcee has bright pink armor, Chromia has purple armor, and Elita-1 has blue-lilac armor. All have plasma rifles and all transform into Cybertronian motorbike.

French accent.

**Wheeljack:** Wheeljack is always at work in his workshop, either giving Autobots upgrade or working on crazy new inventions like electro-chains, boomstick spears or even grapple-gloves. Some Autobots are wary of him, as he can get destructive with his experiments. When many of the Autobots went to war, he wished to help them, and so Optimus let him upgrade their weapons. Wheeljack has white and blue armor and fights with a plasma rifles and an Energon staff. Despite his scientific status, he doesn't actually have an alternate form.

Irish accent.

**Breakaway [Aerialbot]: **Breakaway worked in Iacon Air Defense, also as pilot of Stratosphere along with his fellow Aerialbots. He can have quite a happy attitude which generally keeps the other Aerialbots also happy, but when war comes his attitude flips like a coin and he becomes detached. He has distinctive brown and white camouflaged armor, and transforms into a Cybertronian bomber. He utilizes an Energon axe and missile launchers.

Danish accent.

**Stratosphere [Aerialbot]:** Stratosphere is the biggest of the Aerialbots, nearly as tall as a Combiner. He is the transport and assault vehicle for all of the Aerialbots, and their leader. He utilizes thermo-nuclear bombs and plasma rounds on the enemy, and fights in vehicle form.

American accent.

**Hound [Tactibot]: **Hound is the leader of Tactibots, Iacon's ground defense. He comes across as quite trigger-happy and happy-go-lucky when killing Decepticons, even joking about all of his weapons, but he will fight until the bitter end. He is also one of the most armed of the Tactibots, using several plasma chainguns and miniguns, rifles, handguns and grenades. Up close he uses combat knives, and he transforms into a Cybertronian missile truck. He has a beard and blue optics with green camouflaged armor.

American accent.

**Guzzle [Tactibot]: **Guzzle is one of the Tactibots, serving under Hound. He has green and brown camouflaged armor, blue optics and many Ion Pistols, and transforms into a Cybertronian missile truck.

American accent.

**Flak [Tactibot]:** Flak is the smallest Tactibot serving under Hound, and has green and brown camouflaged armor with grey optics and an Ion UZI and grenades. He transforms into a Cybertronian armored car.

He never speaks, but assume his accent is American.

**Springer [Tactibot]: **Springer makes up the air sector of the Tactibots, and has green and orange armor with orange optics and many different combat knives and plasma handguns for fighting with, and also utilizes the rotors from his vehicular form. He transforms into a Cybertronian VTOL Osprey.

American accent.

**Crosshairs [Tactibot]: **Crosshairs is the reckless and sarcastic member of the Tactibots, who works alongside Springer. He has bright green armor and uses plasma UZIs and a plasma shotgun. He has goggles, blue optics and also has parachutes made of strange material. He transforms into a Cybertronian sports car.

English accent.

**Longarm: **Longarm was a dockyard worker in Iacon with Strongarm and Optimus, but when the city was assaulted, Longarm was called to assist with casualties, towing them to Ratchet. Angered at seeing countless dead Autobots, Longarm joined the fight. He has white and blue armor with silver overlay and orange optics, and has a plasma cannon. He transforms into a Cybertronian tow truck.

American accent.

**Strongarm: **Strongarm was a dockyard worker alongside Longarm in Iacon. When the Decepticons assaulted Iacon, he rushed immediately to the western gate room, and helped fellow Autobots in shutting the gates. However, when the airstrike came, Strongarm was mutilated. Even in this state, he still took hits to ensure the survival of countless Autobots. Longarm found him dead, and to find revenge, he joined the Autobots. Strongarm was buried deep in the Energon crystal caverns beneath Iacon, amid the ghosts of machines. he had green and yellow heavy armor and twin Energon hammers, and transformed into a Cybertronian Heavy Truck.

American accent.

**Mudflap: **Mudflap and his even uglier twin brother Skids worked in the smelting pools in Iacon, until the war began, and Optimus found a use for them...

American accent. (Southern States)

**Skids: **Skids and his ugly twin brother worked in the smelting pools in Iacon. The war began and Optimus saw them and found a use for them in his team. Both of them appear to be better at getting in the way or not getting on with each other than actually achieving their objectives.

American accent. (Southern States)

**Swerve: **Swerve worked in the Circuit with many other light-class Cybertronians, but when the war broke out, Optimus noticed his speed and skilled and recruited him to his cause. He has white armor, a blue visor, and fights with twin Plasma cannons. He transforms into a Cybertronian sports car.

American accent.

**Scattershot: **Scattershot was a member of Iacon's Ground Defense, and he fought with a Neutron cannon which seemed to be powerful against the enemy. He declined entry into the Tactibot's Elite Team, but chose to fight alongside Optimus and his team of Autobots in the war. He has blue and white armor with red Energon lines, and a Neutron cannon. His close-up weapon is a blue Energon axe.

Canadian accent (Alberta).

**Perceptor: **Perceptor was an Autobot physicist and astronomer, and generally distances himself from others, with the exception of Wheeljack. He transforms firstly into a microscope, and secondly into an Energon tank. He uses Energon guns and has red and blue armor with yellow optics. He

Canadian/English accent.

**Impactor [Wrecker]: **Impactor is also a member of the Wreckers, and he has blue, purple and yellow thick armor with miniguns and an Energon saw. He values every single member of the Wreckers, and knows them to their Energon spark. He transforms into a Cybertronian Rally Car.

American accent.

**Broadside [Tactibot]: **Broadside is the largest Tactibot, the size of a combiner. He transforms into a massive ground transport, and houses all of the Tactibots within him. His weapon is his size: anything smaller than a Combiner doesn't bother him. He has a yellow and grey complexion of armor and has a blue visor.

American accent.

**Eject: **Eject is the idealist of the Autobots, but often his ideas are laughed at by many other Autobots. He doesn't believe in violence and believes there must be some way to end the war peacefully. He is all blue and transforms into a data disk.

Swedish accent.

**Fireflight [Aerialbot]: **This Aerialbot shares the same chassis-type as fellow Aerialbot Air Raid. He can sometimes be nick-named as Firestrike. When his fellow Aerialbots entered the campaign against the Decepticons, he joined. He has grey optics, and red and white armor. He fights with two Energon swords.

Canadian accent.

**Whirl [Wrecker]: **Another Wrecker, with plasma miniguns, an Energon bayonet, and bright orange and purple armor. He is the only cycloptic Autobot, and he transforms into a Cybertronian Rally Car. He delights in his own 'showmanship' which he uses as a distraction on the enemy, who are too busy trying to focus their fire on him.

English accent.

**Blaster: **Blaster loves his music, whether it be Cybertronian Electronica or Cybertronian djent. But more than this, he feels it his duty to protect his fellow Autobots. He has red upper body armor and silver lower body armor, and fights with plasma UZIs. He transforms into a Cybertronian SUV.

American accent.

**Ruination: **This is the gigantic form of all the Wreckers combined, a result of one of Wheeljack's experiments. He has very mismatched armor. Impactor makes up the chest and head, Leadfoot makes up the left leg, Whirl makes up the right leg, Roadbuster makes up the right arm and Topspin the left.

Accentless.

**Sunder: **is a Cybertronian Hawk who seems to love dubstep and hangs around with Rewind.

English accent.

**Rewind: **Has silver armor, yellow visor and hangs around with Sunder. He is an Autobot spy and soaks up enemy data like a sponge. But sometimes this data threatens to overload him, so he listens to Sunder's dubstep. He plays an important part in the war on Cybertronian.

American accent.

**Twintwist [Wreckers]: **Is actually more like a Decepticon than Autobot. He has a trigger-happy attitude and is a seething chassis of rage towards the other side. More than once, he has turned on his comrades and physically berated them for inferior problems. Optimus has also more than once reprimanded Twintwist for his ruthlessness towards the enemy. He has an arsenal of weapons: twin Energon tomahawks, plasma handguns, and transforms into a Cybertronian Tank.

American accent.

**Septimus Prime: **A hidden Prime, long lost in the depths of Cybertron. He has yet to be reawakened. A powerful warrior in combat and negotiation, and feared by even the Fallen, who trapped him and Alpha Prime in stasis through his fear. Septimus has gold and blue armor, and a Primax spear and shield, shunning ranged weapons. Transforms into a Cybertronian Energon Cube Transportation.

American accent.

**Alpha Prime: **Another Prime hidden deep within Cybertron. Not much for negotiation but more for unleashing rage onto the enemy. Has blue and green armor and fights with a Primax axe and shield. Left-handed. Transforms into a Cybertronian Javelin (jet).

Swedish accent.

**Powerglide [Aerialbot]: **One of the Aerialbots, crimson armor and blue optics. His alternate form, according to Air Raid, is quite 'antiquated' and 'historic'. Powerglide doesn't say much, but if the enemy enters his zone, does everything and anything to make sure they drop out of his zone. Armed with plasma chainguns. He transforms into a Cybertronian Thunderbolt.

Australian/South African accent.

**Blades [Aerialbot]: **The Aerialbot's personal medical officer, and brother to Springer. He doesn't have weapons, using his maneuverability to destroy the enemy.

American accent.

**Skydive [Aerialbot]: **Skydive has crimson armor and transforms into a Cybertronian Raptor. Skywarp is his mortal enemy. He fights with missile launchers and Energon swords.

Norwegian accent.

**Slingshot [Aerialbot]: **Slingshot has blue and crimson armor and is one of the Aerialbots, that combine to form Superion, a massive Aerialbot combiner. He transforms into a Cybertronian Interceptor and fights with missiles and an Energon slingshot...

American accent.

**Airazor [Aerialbot]:**

**Barrelroll [Aerialbot]:**

**Grimlock [Dinobot/Lightning Strike]: **Grimlock is the leader of Lightning Strike Coalition Force, coming from the Boreal Cybertronian Forests. He is quite viking in nature, as is all of his soldiers, ripping apart Decepticons without restraint. He and his team of what some may call mercenaries or nomads, handle the jobs that the other Autobots can't seem to handle. He believes that the end justifies the means and will gladly disobey. He transforms into a Cybertronian Ice Truck, for travelling across frozen metal, and utilizes a plasma cannon in left-hand, and an Energon sword and shield. He has a red visor which hides strange circular green optics, and dull brown and silver armor. He also has the appearance of wings on his back in robot form.

_After Shockwave's experiments, he was modified. His thought and vocal processors were damaged and he couldn't think intelligent. He transforms into a Cybertronian Tyrannosaurus Rex. _

Native American/Russian accent.

**Scorn [Dinobot/Lightning Strike]: **Scorn is one of Grimlock's most trusted allies in the Lightning Strike Coalition Force, also originating from Cybertronian Boreal Forests and Tundra. His armor is of strange design, being bronze in colour and having a blue visor. He gets his name from the attitude in which he treats the enemy. Prior to the torturous experiments, he transformed into a Cybertronian Energon Tanker. He is also very tall, perhaps the tallest in LSCF. He utilizes a plasma rifle and an Energon whip.

_After Shockwave's experiments, he was extremely mutilated into an almost Predacon form. He no longer had the ability to speak. He transforms into a Cybertronian Spinosaurus and utilizes a Spinosaurus whip, made from the spines on his armor._

Native American/Finnish accent.

**Swoop [Dinobot/Lightning Strike]: **Swoop is the youngest of the Lightning Strike Coalition Force and is somewhat of a son to Grimlock. Swoop was saved by Grimlock when the Fallen said blackguards to slaughter all of Swoop's caste. Swoop was taken to the Boreal Cybertronian Forests and taught how to hunt and kill. He took the form of a Cybertronian Eagle, and has faded red, silver, and faded gold armor with the wings that fold on his back. He fights with twin Energon swords. He has a single blue visor also.

_After being lured into the Sea of Rust, where Lockdown captured him and took the LSCF to Shockwave, he was changed into a new form: one that transformed into a Pterosaur. _

Native American accent.

**Sludge [Dinobot/Lightning Strike]: **Sludge is the tallest of all of the Dinobots/LSCF, looming over Grimlock and even Scorn. Sludge and Grimlock have known each other for a very long time, and is always at his leader's side. Grimlock and Sludge sometimes don't see optic to optic. He fights with heavy Ion cannons and an Energon mace. He has a brown sheen of armor, overlaid with grey, and red optics.

_After Shockwave's experiments, he gained the new form of Apatosaurus, a looming beast with a new armament. _

Native American accent.

**Snarl [Dinobot/Lightning Strike]: **Snarl is one of the quickest and hardiest of the Dinobots/LSCF, and he transforms into a Cybertronian Boreal Wolf. He was found wounded by Sludge and Grimlock and was taken in. Snarl grew with his training and is at the forefront of any mission. He fought with Energon UZIs and is of few words. He has green armor with green optics.

_After Shockwave's experiments, Snarl sustained a new, monstrous form, which is a Stegosaurus. He uses a massive katana and wakizashi made of the spikes from his beat form. _

Russian accent.

**Strafe [Dinobot/Lightning Strike]:  **Strafe is another air aspect of the Dinobots, and is utilized for his surveillance capabilities. He also has extremely good sight and can pick off enemies from kilometres away. He uses scoped Energon rifles and twin Energon whips, along with an Energon Crossbow. He has blue and black armor, which becomes silver after the experiments, and blue optics.

_After Shockwave's experiments, Strafe now found his alternate form was a massive two-headed Pteranodon. He utilizes whips made of his tail than can pierce armor, and an upgraded crossbow. _

Russian accent.

**Slash [Dinobot]: **Slash is quick and quite sly for an Autobot. He is a long-time member of Lightning Strike Coalition Force and is their specialist and stealth and infiltration. He uses twin Energon swords and has light green and dark blue armor, and red optics. He transforms into a Cybertronian sports car.

_After Shockwave's experiments, Slash gained the new form of a Cybertronian Velociraptor. As a result, his sabres became a lot sharper and able to cut through any armor or grapple onto buildings. _

Native American accent.

**Wildcard: **

**Vector Prime:**

* * *

**Decepticons**

**Megatron: **Megatron was once a Constructicon and worker on the Mining Outpost C-12, but when the Autobot Council sent Senator Decimus to this outpost to shut them down, Megatron was forced to commit his first act of violence. He was arrested and made gladiator on Kaon, but when his corrupt managers told him to lose the fight so he'd be shut down, Megatron killed them all and took over Kaon, kicking out the upper class and forming an army. Megatron gained his name from one of the (corrupt) Primes: Megatronus Prime. When Orion Pax came to visit, Megatron was the only one who welcomed him warmly. They used to have debates of philosophy, astronomy, history, many things. But Megatron planned to get back at the Senate who had so wrongly had him imprisoned and pushed into brutality, and so he attacked Iacon and began the war, leading the Decepticons. He also began his campaign for Dark Energon: a powerful substance that enhances its vessel.

From here, Megatron seemed to forget Optimus. Megatron has gunmetal grey armor, red optics and purple and red designs on scarred armor. He fights with a spiked Energon mace and a Fusion Cannon, and transforms into a Cybertronian Fusion Tank.

American accent.

**Starscream [Seeker]: **Starscream had once been an Air Commander, but due to an incident involving insubordination, he was sent to Trypticon Space Station and demoted by the Senate. Seething with rage, he planned his revenge, but was stopped by another former Air Commander named Jetfire. Over those thousand years, Starscream guarded Trypticon along with Jetfire, Thundercracker, Skywarp, and the other Cybertronians. When Megatron attacked Trypticon, Starscream at first tried to defy the Decepticon leader. But in Megatron he saw his chance for success, his revenge reignited. Despite the pleas of his friend Jetfire, Starscream allowed Megatron access to the Dark Energon, not only betraying Jetfire but allowing his inclusion into the Decepticon Army. From there, Starscream rose to a position of power, which made other Decepticons wary or even jealous.

Starscream is bitter, strict, extremely intelligent but at times this intelligence gets in the way of what he should really see. He is rebellious of Megatron's rule and takes every opportunity to question his 'leader' which is a mask for something a lot darker: betrayal. Starscream wishes to take control of the Decepticons so that he can restore his former glory. He has white and blue armor with red details and yellow cockpit glass, along with red optics. At times Cybertronian tattoos can be seen on his armor. He transforms into a Cybertronian Raptor Jet, and fights with twin purple Energon swords and a missile launcher.

British accent with a small hint of American.

**Skywarp [Seeker]: **Skywarp is Starscream's right-hand, serving in Starscream's unit, and suffering the same fate: work on Trypticon and demotion. As with Thundercracker, Skywarp shares the same body type as Starscream. Skywarp is brutal and seems to love battle, in numerous occasions hitting workers aboard Trypticon, only to be reprimanded by Starscream. When Megatron attacked Trypticon, Skywarp admired his brutally, not listening to Starscream. Eventually, they all joined the Decepticons, and his brutality only increased. He has purple and white armor and gold optics, and fights with a long-range plasma rifle and plasma scimitar. He transforms into a Cybertronian Raptor Jet.

American accent.

**Thundercracker [Seeker]: **Thundercracker is Starscream's left-hand in the squadron, and also suffered the same fate: work on Trypticon and demotion. Thundercracker dislikes violence, and often shows disdain towards Skywarp's positive attitude towards battle. He is a scientist at the core and sees war as chemistry: adding one element to another removes corruption and makes a compound. He has gold optics, turquoise, white and green armor and fights with an Energon hammer and missile launchers. He transforms into a Cybertronian Raptor Jet.

Canadian accent.

**Dreadwing [Seeker]: **Dreadwing is a Seeker and part of Kaon Air Defense, sometimes seeing himself as the leader. This seriously annoys Cyclonus. He has black and red armor, and transforms into a Cybertronian Raptor Jet. He fights with twin plasma spears.

American accent.

**Blitzwing [Seeker]: **Blitzwing is a seeker and leader of Tarn Air Defense. He joined the Decepticons prior to the first assault to Iacon, but didn't actually take part in the assault. He soon joined the main Decepticon Force in the campaign. He has black, purple and white armor and has control over several ground soldiers. He fights with Ion and plasma mortars, and transforms into a Cybertronian Bomber.

English accent.

**Ramjet [Seeker]: **Ramjet is a Seeker and is one of Starscream's squadron who wasn't sent to Trypticon to serve time. This is perhaps out of the Senate's arrogance, or maybe because they knew Ramjet's mental processors have been damaged. The truth is, Ramjet has never been intelligent, but obviously Starscream had a use for him, to include him into the squadron. Ramjet will follow anyone if told, and makes Skywarp his role model. When Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp joined, Ramjet blindly followed. He'll jump into any situation without an afterthought, making him easy use of a distraction. He has turquoise, red and grey armor, an over-sized Energon hammer, and plasma rifle, and transforms into a Cybertronian Razor-Wing, and also has the cone of his vehicular form on his head.

Dense American accent.

**Dirge [Seeker]: **Dirge is a Seeker who was part of Starscream's squadron, and was sent to Kaon after Starscream's subsequent dismissal. Here, he first worked as a guard at Kaon Stadium, and then became part of Kaon Air Defense. He has an intimidating attitude and many keep away from Dirge if they owe him or have an unsettled argument with him. Most who have had an unsettled argument usually don't live to see the next day. He rejoined Starscream and became a Decepticon to fight in the war. He has blue, purple and gold armor, orange optics, plasma cannon, Energon falchion, and transforms into a Cybertronian Stealth Jet. He is also cone-headed.

American accent.

**Cyclonus [Seeker]: **Cyclonus had been part of Starscream's squadron up until the disband and dismissal. From there, Cyclonus had disappeared, infrequently reappearing for training in Kaon Stadium. He is has a tough guy character, seeing others as inferior and weak. But neither does he look up to Megatron. He has a habit of arguing with other Decepticons. He has very intricate wing details, a spine made up of both afterburners combined, gold optics, cone-head and light purple armor. He fights with a plasma rifle and a Dark Energon spear which injects Dark Energon into the enemy. He transforms into a Cybertronian Raven.

English accent.

**Motormaster [Stunticon]: **Motormaster is the big leader of the the Stunticons, and likes nothing more than head-on collisions and boasting about how any road is _his_. A lot of the time he doesn't talk to the Stunticons, and heads off on his own. He has bright purple armor covered in blue and purple Energon lines, a massive broadsword, laser cannon, and gold optics. He transforms into a Cybertronian Transport Truck/Bus.

American accent.

**Dragstrip [Stunticon]: **Dragstrip is a Stunticon, who may be small but thinks outside his size. He can be prone to boasting about a range of things, from how quick he can draw his blasters, to his 'superior' vehicle form, and to the color of his armor. This boasting can get on other Decepticon's nerves, but they are glad enough to have him for back up and in battle. He is lightly armored, his armor being a gold color with purple detail, yellow optics, small plasma mace, and twin plasma revolvers. He transforms into a Cybertronian sports car.

American accent.

**Breakdown [Stunticon]: **Breakdown is another Stunticon, who is extremely bipolar and paranoid. He always thinks 'someone is watching' him, and will be quick to anger. He mistrusts Soundwave a lot, seeing as Soundwave can wear the walls like a mask. He has blue and grey heavy armor, spikes on back and wheels clear on shoulders, purple Energon lines, spiked Energon nunchuk and twin plasma launchers. Transforms into a Cybertronian Pursuit Car.

Irish accent.

**Barricade: **Barricade is all law-enforcement. He has known Megatron from his time as gladiator in Kaon Stadium, and has also known Orion Pax/Optimus. In fact, Barricade was one of those who give him a cold greeting when he visited Megatron in Kaon, after the overthrow. Barricade also dislikes the Senate for the lack of law-enforcement policies. He is a firm believer that Megatron should rule Cybertron. He is a Decepticon to the core. He has black and grey armor, with 'police' written in Cybertronian cyrillic on his shoulders, fights with twin plasma batons, and two Energon pistols. He has close contacts with the Dreads, and several other sub-law enforcement agencies. He transforms into a Cybertronian Police Car and has four gold optics, allowing for accuracy and multi-attention.

American accent.

**Soundwave: **Soundwave is the Decepticon Communication Officer, and has many assets: Ravage, Frenzy and Laserbeak. Any camera, it's his. Any satellite, radio channel or wavelength: he owns it. He can hack into the most complicated networks, melt firewalls, and lodge viruses deep within the annex of the enemy system. He has been a Decepticon from the start, though where he comes from is unknown. He speaks in a heavily synthesized tone which can at times blow sound sensors if he decides to change frequency, channel or wavelength. He has a yellow visor, dark grey and purple armor with Cybertronian disks on back and forearms that can release plasma energy. His face is a very real likeness of the Decepticon symbol.

He transforms into a Cybertronian Truck and fights with plasma UZI's and an Energon hatchet and shield.

No accent distinguishable.

**Shockwave: **Shockwave is a Decepticon Scientist, Hunter and Assassin, and probably the most powerful Decepticon on Cybertron. He is cold, insular, and serves only logic. He cares little for those around him, he only cares for his own creations and experiments. Many Decepticons fear Shockwave for the power he holds: some say he was not created by Primus, but by Unicron. Shockwave joined the Decepticon forces after Megatron manages to best him in combat at the Energon Purification Core in Tarn, which Shockwave was in charge of. Shockwave still had control over Tarn after he bested Megatron when the leader attempted to take over the city.

Shockwave moved his experiment to a tower in Kaon, having it heavily guarded. He knows about Zeta Prime's spacebridge creation and is intent on stealing it or replicating it himself. He has already created Insecticons: primal Decepticon warriors who can clone themselves. He is clad in dark purple armor and is cycloptic, having an ominous purple optic in the centre of his forehead, with horn-like structures on the sides. He transforms into a Cybertronian Katana (Jet), with one big afterburner in the centre that is quiet to the sound sensors, when it can be. He has a massive, left-handed Blastwave Energon rifle with a hose attaching it to the Energon tanks on his back, which is very accurate, and a blade that comes out of his right arm. He also has intricate spine and abdomen detail.

English/Ukrainian/Russian accent.

**Onslaught [Combaticon]: **Onslaught is the leader of the Combaticon Elites, a military-type special unit in the Decepticon army. He is one of the taller Combaticon Elites, and one of the more sensible, although he is known to descend into a frenzy of madness. He has a black and grey sheen of armor with what appears to be blue Cybertronian tattoos on the darker parts, and purple Energon lines. He is heavily armed, with a left-handed laser, miniguns, Energon hammer, plasma combat kinfe. He has a gold visor which covers optics. He transforms into a Cybertronian Combaticon Armored/Assault Truck.

_Makes up Bruticus' torso._

Australian accent.

**Brawl [Combaticon]: **Brawl is the second-in-command in the Combaticon Elites, and is a also the most trigger-happy. He loves nothing more than war: without it he would get bored and possibly end up killing everything around him or himself. He will gladly charge Autobots, with no concern for himself and very little for his teammates. His red optics are hidden behind a gold visor. His armor is a gunmetal and dark grey with very few markings. In the dead centre of his chest, a Decepticon symbol glows. The tank tracks of his vehicle form make up his upper arms and lower legs, and his main weapon is the Energon chaingun attached to his right arm. He also has two plasma cannons on his back, which make up the two inferior cannons in his tank form. He transforms into a Cybertronian Combaticon Tank.

_Makes up Bruticus' left leg. _

American accent.

**Swindle [Combaticon]: **Swindle is one of the fast soldiers in the Combaticon Elites, and is perhaps the most sensible, although sensible is not a word that exists within a Combaticon's vocabulary. Only duty, destroy, devastate. He often makes jokes about Brawl's ability only to do those things, and says that "Brawl lacks the thought sensors to do anything else." This often results in the two Combaticons fighting and being broken up by Vortex or Onslaught. Swindle has a distinctive purple visor and yellow-patterned armor and transforms into a Cybertronian Armored Humvee.

_Makes up Bruticus' right leg._

Italian accent.

**Blast Off [Combaticon]: **Blast Off is the flying Elite in the Combaticon Elites. He likes to be arrogant and use his advanced range to get ahead of everyone else in the team. He is very bad at managing conflict, actually just sitting back and watching Swindle and Brawl beat each other into lugnuts. He transforms into a Cybertronian Combaticon Raptor (A heavily modified version of Starscream's alt form) and gets reminded of this by Brawl. Blast Off is known to have something against Starscream. He fights with an Energon minigun, and has copper-colored armor with a red visor.

_Makes up Bruticus' right arm._

French accent.

**Depthcharge [Combaticon]: **Depthcharge is the infiltration Elite of the Combaticon Elites, and uses the seas and lakes, canals and rivers of Energon as his gateway into battle. He has navy and light blue armor, a silver visor, and transforms into a Cybertronian Corvette. He is the largest of the Combaticon Elites, and has very heavy armaments.

_Makes up Bruticus' jetpack. _

Swedish accent.

**Vortex [Combaticon]: **Vortex is definitely the most sensible in the group, and also the most quiet. In fact, he hardly speaks, unless it is to give orders. He is also the interrogator of the Combaticons, and the melee expert. He has gold visor, red and copper armor detail and transforms into a Cybertronian Attack Combaticon Helicopter, with four rotors. In robot mode, the four rotor blades fold on his back and he uses them like katanas. He also has Energon miniguns.

_Makes up Bruticus' left arm._

Russian accent.

**Slipstream [Seeker]: **_She _is an air Decepticon, a Seeker that was never part of Starscream's special squadron. She has worked as part of Vos Air Enforcement for a very long time. That is, until Megatron took over Kaon. She became interested in Megatron's speeches of "Freedom", and "Liberation." She left her post on Vos to side with Megatron, besting his Air Decepticons easily. Megatron saw great potential in her and sent her to Tarn to undertake assignments there. She has purple and light green armor, purple optics and many bladed weapons.

Japanese accent.

**Thrust [Seeker]:**

**Crankcase [Dread]:**

**Crowbar [Dread]:**

**Hatchet [Dread]:**

**Dreadwind [Dread]:**

**Hooligan [Dread]:**

**Dirtbag [Dread]:**

**Lockdown:**

**Hardshell [Insecticon]:**

**Kickback [Insecticon]: **

**Sharpshot [Insecticon]:**

**Bombshock [Insecticon]:**

**Shrapnel [Insecticon]:**

**Steeljaw [Predacon]:**

**Ravage [Predacon]:**

**Laserbeak:**

**Sideways:**

**Dead End [Stunticon]:**

**Blackout:**

**Grindor:**

**Tankor:**

**Bonecrusher:**

**Scorponok:**

**Long Haul [Constructicon]:**

**Mixmaster [Constructicon]:**

**Scavenger [Constructicon]:**

**Overload [Constructicon]:**

**Scrapper [Constructicon]:**

**Hightower [Constructicon]:**

**Rampage [Constructicon]:**

**Quake:**

**Rumble:**

**Spinister:**

**Demolishor [Constructicon]:**

**Payload:**

**Skipjack:**

**Irongut:**

**Oculus Prime:**

**Rippersnapper:**

**Cruellock:**

**Shockblast:**

**Duststorm:**

**Override:**

* * *

**Other Character Appearances: **Landquake, Skyfall,


	2. The Plot Forms

_**The Decepticon viewpoint.**_

**Location: Iacon City – Autobot HQ**

An light-class Autobot Soldier ran up an intricate set of stairs, and stopped in the shadows. He then spoke, through comlink, keeping a hushed tone. "I've reached the perimeter of the city, Ironhide."

"All right. Move in carefully, there are Decepticons all over the place." Ironhide's gruff reply came.

"Do we know what they are looking for?" the Autobot asked, curious, young, and probably inexperienced in combat. But Ironhide had not much of a choice in who he sent in to destroy the signal disruptors.

"No, but whatever it is you can bet your lug nuts we don't want Megatron getting his hands on it." Ironhide replied, distracted. He was elsehwere in Iacon, possibly directing gunning crews.

The Autobot noted another contact signal coming in from the HQ above. It was Ratchet, the Autobot medical officer. "I've uploaded their search pattern and isolated the most likely location. I'll upload it to your optics."

Ratchet then added, "Get in there, find it before they do, and get out. _No playing hero._" The Autobot rookie stepped out and rolled his optics.

"I don't 'play' hero, Ratchet. I'm the real thing. You guys just sit tight, I'll have it safe in Iacon before you know it." The Autobot said cockily. With that, he ascended the stairs into HQ, to see a battle explode around him.

* * *

Optimus Prime and Bumblebee were fighting with two Decepticon melee specialists. Optimus had his axe against the sparking Decepticon soldier he fought to but down. Bumblebee had fared well against the opponent who loomed over him. "Hah, I may look small, but size doesn't count!" Bumblebee said, kicking the Decepticon melee over the side.

The city was an array of tall towers and bright lights around him, mostly red: the Autobot colour. The sky was a brown sheen overhead but through it could be seen the cosmos and many stars and satellites surrounding Cybertron. Many airways arched overhead. But explosions lit the horizons and the skies.

Optimus walked up behind the short yellow Autobot, and stowed his axe away. His blue optics surveyed the scene, which was quickly turning into grander chaos.

Missiles soared from gunships overhead. Wreckage flew down and Optimus could hear chatter over all channels. In a courtyard below, Leadfoot was barring the doors against a Decepticon assault. The rest of the Wreckers had taken cover. Ultra Magnus, their leader, was reloading. "Topspin, Roadbuster. Move up and defend the flank. The Dreads may get through!"

One Dread had got through. Crowbar. Hatchet and Crankcase soon followed, the black dread-locked Decepticon unit tearing through the unit of Autobot Soldiers. "Fall back!" Ultra Magnus yelled.

In the skies, explosions drew Optimus' attention. Skywarp, a Decepticon seeker, was firing missiles at Autobot artillery. "All this because of stupid divide." Optimus said, and Bumblebee gazed up at his leader.

The Autobot rookie entered the HQ, entering a brightly lit circular chamber. Air Raid noted the Autobot's presence and turned. Air Raid was covered in white and grey armour with lilac energon lines. The Autobot was adapted to flying.

"Hey, Ratchet. Check out the new guy. There's not a single dent in him. I'll bet my thrusters he's never seen a Decepticon, let alone fought one." Air Raid said jokingly.

The rookie's optics went over to Ratchet, the medical officer. Ratchet had red and white armour and calm blue optics. Something in Ratchet's optics told the rookie he had seen too many battles, even as a medic. "Call it, Air Raid. We need all the help we can get. Ironhide sent him in, so I'm sure he can handle it." Ratchet said in a clipped tone.

Air Raid shrugged. "I guess you're right. OK, rookie. Follow me, I hope you're a quick learner." with that, Air Raid departed through the door opposite the entrance and the rookie followed.

Both Autobots entered a room which was dark in nature, except for the strange blue energon lines that outlined the door and an area to his left. Air Raid directed the rookie to pick up an plasma cannon and then have a little target practice. The weapon gave off a slight fizz sound as the rookie pulled the trigger. He integrated the plasma cannon into his system and followed the other Autobot into the armoury/training grounds.

"OK, step into the ring." Air Raid said. The rookie stepped into the centre of a yellow energon circle and suddenly energon ropes popped up around him, turning the area into a wrestling ring. Three dummies appeared. "Use your sword and shield to defeat the dummies."

The rookie drew out the red energon sword and shield and defeated the dummy Decepticons. They dissolved into nothing. Air Raid nodded his head in approval. "OK-"

The door opened behind him and an Autobot Defence Specialist stormed in. He was wielding a massive hammer and a blue square energon shield. "Sir, we need assistance! The Dreads have stormed the control room!" Air Raid turned to the rookie. "It looks like you're on your own now, soldier. Duty calls." With that, Air Raid followed the Defence Specialist away.

The rookie entered two more corridors and finally came into a big, empty room, which was situated outside. The Autobot looked into the sky, and around the room. "Huh. It looks empty. I wonder where all the Decepticons are..." He stepped into the room and laid his optics on the disruptors in the room, by the machinery. "Ah-ha." He said.

The door across from him opened and two laser guards. These were floating monitors, security systems, armed with lasers. He took them out immediately, and then used his plasma cannon on the four disruptors, destroying them. He noted the change of atmosphere in the room and realized his signal wasn't being disrupted.

The computer on his right was back online and he tapped it, tapping an uplink to Iacon Outer Defense. "I've reached the central chamber, Ironhide. The Decepticons are sure in for a big-"

The Autobot paused. The wall behind him collapsed into rubble as a purple and grey tank smashed through it, breaking it into fragments. The echoing sound eventually died and the tank transformed into a looming figure with a cannon. Megatron.

"...Suprise." The rookie finished, grimacing. He refused to turn around to Megatron. Ironhide had not answered yet. Megatron walked forward as the rookie raised his shield to defend, seeing the look of malice on the Decepticon leader's face.

Megatron spoke in a rough, but commanding voice. "I don't know who put it into your head that you actually matter, Autobot. But your story ends here." The rookie shrugged, and raised his sword. "I don't think s-"

Megatron pulled the trigger on his fusion cannon and the shot ripped the shield from the rookie's hand. Another shot and the rookie went flying into the computer, bleeding energon. One final shot and the rookie fell apart, dead.

The Decepticon leader turned away disdainfully, and left the room as it had been before the rookie had entered it.

* * *

Megatron picked up a strong, heavy signal. He activated the comlink, and Soundwave spoke, in a strange, distorted, almost sing-songy voice. "Lord Megatron, I have hacked into the Autobot mainframe. But I need more time to decrypt the intel. If they discover what I'm doing, they could terminate the connection."

"Then I'll make sure to keep them busy." Megatron said forcefully. He walked forward, the light flickering on and off inside the corridor. The wall came through in front of him and he shielded his face. A dead Autobot Artillery Specialist slid across the ground in a shower of sparks. Megatron looked down at it, walked over it, crushing it beneath his feet, and walked through the newly-made exit into the firefight outside.

They were on a corner of a building, some kind of temple. The Autobots were retreating under heavy fire. A Cybertronian purple and black stealth jet swooped down and in a mechanical frenzy transformed into Dirge. Dirge and Soundwave had been there with Megatron from the start, as had Barricade, Ramjet, Brawl, Lazerbeak, Skywarp, and many other Decepticons.

"Lord Megatron. The Autobots cannot take the assault and are retreating. We should push on, and destroy them all." Dirge said, eager to fight. He had an Energon staff in his hands. "Save your idle chatter, Dirge. We have a mission to accomplish." Megatron growled, frustrated by Dirge's eagerness.

They both sprinted down steps, past the dead bodies of Autobots, and Dirge locked and loaded his plasma rifle. Another heavy-class Decepticon emerged, but Megatron did not stop to ask his name. And then both Dirge and the Decepticon, who was then revealed to be Frenzy, stopped. They could hear plasma fire.

"Lord Megatron, if we take out the turrets, we shall die. Go on ahead and take them on." Dirge said. Megatron snorted, but realized that Dirge had followed him this far. Frenzy covered the rear and Dirge watched Megatron's back as he disappeared around the corner into the narrow corridor. There were three metal thuds in quick succession, and then a flaming turret hit the wall next to Dirge's head.

Megatron reappeared and Dirge spoke. "We are in your debt, Lord Megatron."  
"Save it." Megatron said, reloading his fusion cannon. He was getting impatient; there were hardly any Autobots in this part of Iacon. What's more was he had not received contact off Crankcase, leader of the Dreads elite unit.

Megatron paused at one end of an open bridge. A trio of Autobot jets flew past, followed by Skywarp, who knocked two out of the sky. Debris scarred the bridge in front of him and Megatron glared up. Another wounded Autobot hit the bridge, and tried to get up. Megatron turned, his red optics directly on the stricken Autobot, and pulled the energon mace off his back.

Before Megatron could hit the Autobot, Dirge shot the enemy down. Megatron glared over his shoulder and they entered another building, the sounds of fighting becoming muffled to the sound sensors. As the doors shut behind them, Dirge suddenly said, "Watch out, a Swarm!" Megatron narrowed his optics on a cloud of insect-like creatures.

Frenzy ran forward, thinking he could run through the Swarm with no harm. The insects attached to Frenzy's exoskeleton but he kept running, not thinking to shoot them off. Suddenly, he stopped dead as his armour began coming apart. Energon fizzled out of wounds and Megatron watched as Frenzy exploded into pieces. One of the Swarm landed in Megatron's open palm.

"So small." He murmured, looking at the six-legged and potentially lethal insect. And then he felt something punch into his hand. "And so easily destroyed." He closed his hand, crushing the insect, and the rest of the Swarm seemed to feel the death and target Megatron. Megatron raised his fusion cannon and blasted the Swarm into nonexistence, and then blasted their hive before more could spawn.

They both walked past the remains of Frenzy, into the next empty chamber. They entered the next, and laser guards came out of nowhere and opened fire. Dirge took two hits to the chest and fell back, Energon spilling out from a serious rupture. Megatron blasted the monitors, growling "Impudent creations!" and a whistling sound announced the entrance of Decepticon Brawl.

The heavy-class Decepticon charged the laser guards, not caring for his wounds. He pulled the Energon Warhammer off his back and spun with it. "Crush everything that moves!" he growled, splitting a monitor in half with the Warhammer. Megatron provided cover fire, blasting two more out of the air. They both entered the next room, where Dirge reappeared, recuperating his strength from an Energon fountain.

Megatron paused in the blue and yellow Energon light, picking up a transmission from Soundwave. Brawl grunted in distaste of the Communication Officer's strange, distorted voice. "Lord Megatron, I have accomplished my mission. We have the intel."

"Excellent work, Soundwave. I'm heading to the extraction point now." Megatron said, before sending comms offline. "The extraction point is through these large outside tubes. It looks a long way, traversable by vehicle mode." Dirge transformed and flew out into the large tube. Megatron and Brawl transformed into their tanks and followed Dirge's afterburner trail.

The tunnel had a ceiling made of glass, and Megatron's outer sensors could see the destruction being wrought as both armies fought in Iacon. _Optimus and Prime must be having a hard time. _Skywarp had led a squadron of air Decepticons to divebomb the main gates to Autobot HQ, meanwhile the Dreads caused havoc in the control room. All of this was little more than a diversion.

Part of the tunnel shattered as a dismembered Decepticon hit it, dead. Megatron swerved to dodge it while Brawl just went through it. They finally reached a set of doors as more explosions destroyed the tunnel ceiling.

Megatron heard jet engines firing up and then Jetfire landed in front of them. The Autobot was tall and was clad in white, grey and red armour. "Megatron, you will be turned into scrap metal before you leave behind all the damage you've caused. You and your Decepticon army."

"YOU and what army?" Megatron sneered. "I do not need an army to destroy you, Megatron." The Autobot scientist said calmly. With that, Jetfire raised his cannons. Dirge dropped down as Megatron pulled the Energon Mace off his back, and took two hits from Jetfire. Jetfire blasted him back through the doors and Megatron growled, "Fly, you fool!"

Megatron swung at the Autobot Airman with his mace, but Jetfire deftly stepped out of the way. Megatron swung the mace again, and sparks flew off the wall. Jetfire hovered a little above the ground, afterburners keeping him suspended. Megatron glared at his enemy, and pushed the Energon lamp in front of him. The lamppost tilted and slowly fell, Jetfire strafing to the left.

Brawl was circling around, Energon Warhammer at the ready. Jetfire noted the Combaticon's presence looming behind him. "Can you not fight fair, Decepticon?" Brawl snorted and said, "Destroy everything that moves." Megatron nearly snorted at these words. A part of him told him he couldn't afford such mindless behaviour. The bigger part told him he didn't care.

Brawl charged, uncaring, and Jetfire shot him back. Brawl kept coming, until Jetfire kicked Brawl in the face. Megatron looked at his mace, and then decided it was easier to shoot Jetfire. He raised his fusion cannon on the distracted Aerialbot. "Until next time, Jetfire." And then he pulled the trigger.

The Autobot went through the window with a shattering sound, dropping his prized plasma swords, and disappeared into the sea of buildings below. Megatron gazed down through the broken glass, and then at Brawl, who looked at the wounds in his exoskeleton and laughed.

The Decepticon leader picked up static in communications, and then Soundwave spoke in the strange voice he always spoke in. "Lord Megatron, we have discovered the location of the Trypticon Space Station, as you commanded."

Megatron seemed extremely pleased as a Decepticon gunship lowered by the building he stood on. A ramp lowered and he strode across it with the pride of an elite commander, a great warrior. Behind him Brawl sauntered along, dragging his warhammer behind, and got on an Energon Chaingun emplacement. "Excellent, we leave at once. Prepare my ship." Megatron said.

_Everything was going to plan so far. If he found what he sought, his soldiers would be empowered and Megatron could rip out the heart of the Autobots and make them crawl at his feet. And he would rule Cybertron and all of its relics. _


	3. Reviving the Dark Energon Project

**Location: Trypticon Space Station**

Megatron stood at the helm of his ship, the _Divergence_. Soundwave and Skywarp were at the controls, keeping the ship steady, while Brawl and Barricade stood behind either shoulder. He was watching the situation through the bridge windows.

Soundwave got up and spoke, his _pet_ Lazerbeak resting on his shoulder. "Approaching Trypticon station, Lord Megatron." Soundwave reached Megatron's shoulder and had a single yellow visor optic and purple and blue armor. The Decepticon's weapons were concealed away. Soundwave was just as good with melee weapons as he was with his plasma rifle.

Megatron paced back and fore, his optics set on the mass that was Trypticon. "Excellent, Soundwave. Engage docking protocols."

Soundwave's gaze was drawn back onto his monitors and scanners. "Unknown insurgents taking defensive positions. Docking not possible."

Megatron unclenched his fists, glaring at the massive station as the guns started to power up. Barricade had got up. The ship shuddered through its beams and Barricade approached his master. Brawl had stumbled stupidly.

"Sublight engines are offline, shields at fifteen percent. We can't keep taking shots like that!" Barricade implored. "Redirect all power to the forward shields. If I can't dock, I'll ram this ship down their throats." Megatron growled determination seeping through him. He had rammed a fist into the monitor in front of him.

Barricade seemed startled. "We don't even know what kind of defenses they've set up in that station. You're risking a lot over a crazy legend!" Megatron looked over his massive right shoulder at Barricade.  
"Risk is what cowards call opportunity, Barricade. And this is an opportunity to tip the war in our favor and bring the Autobots _to their knees._"

* * *

However, the plan had not worked. The looming shape of Megatron now stood on a stationary piece of debris, near the massive space station that was Trypticon. Behind him stood Dragstrip. The Stunticon Decepticon was small and had a gold sheen of armor, with purple lines where the wheels were and black armor on his shoulders and head.

Brawl spoke through the comlink, from his ship that was retreating into the strange purple aura of the space around. "We failed to get in close. The debris field would have destroyed the ship, Lord Megatron. We've deployed you as close as possible. You'll need to make way by foot."

Megatron glared across the shifting field of debris, to what looked like part of a ship. He needed to get through that and across the debris into the station. He had been glad to escape Cybertron for a while, he could sense the planet far below and all of its chaos.

He jumped, the absence of gravity slowing his decent onto the next flat piece of debris. It was clear that anything that had attempted to ram or get close to Trypticon had resulted in its defendants destroying it, turning into the debris in orbit around the station.

It took a few more jumps to get to the ruined ship. Dragstrip was with him every step of the way. Nothing moved within the passages of the destroyed cruiser. But as they reached the exit, Megatron stopped. He watched a massive Energon disk on Trypticon start to power up, ready to release a vicious blast of dark Energon.

And then his sound receptors seemed to go into static as the Energon disk fired a beam of Dark Energon. It cut far into space. Dragstrip had fallen, but pulled himself back up stoically, readying his plasma revolvers. Megatron counted at least 15 seconds until the next blast, before both jumped onto the debris leading to one of the vents on the station.

It was soon they were safe under the surging beam of Energon from the disc, and they entered the pure darkness of the air vent.

They entered a small room, where plasma turrets opened fire and then suddenly powered down. Megatron waited, but they didn't attack again. He heard a comlink beep, and an arrogant voice spoke down to him.

"Well, well, well, _Megatron._ Attempting to restart the base? I'm afraid I won't allow that to happen." The owner of the voice was a Seeker, a Cybertronian of flight, by the name of Starscream.

"You fool. You can't possibly stand in my way." Megatron warned, loading his fusion cannon.  
Silence.  
"Fine! Enter the base, it shall be your _tomb__!_" and then it lapsed back into silence.

"Follow me." Megatron told Dragstrip, looking at the monitor. Megatron was unconcerned at the voice or the person on the other end of the comlink. Megatron only expected to fight Trypticon's security measures. No Autobots had discovered the station. Yet.

Brawl updated Megatron on the situation within the giant Decepticon satellite. "The emergency conductors are draining what little energy the base has left. Deactivate the defense systems to reroute power to the primary power core. Once the core has been energized, you can access the Dark Energon lab."

Megatron walked forward, heavy caterpillar-track feet thudding on the metallic floor beneath. "It is in my grasp..."

The only resistance the two Decepticons encountered was indeed, that of Trypticon's defenses. Megatron and Dragstrip sauntered down a darkened corridor. Alarms from somewhere else in Trypticon made them stop.

"_Autobot breach, Autobot breach. Locking down." _

_So the Autobots are here in a pathetic, weakling attempt to stop me..._ thought Megatron. "Dragstrip, keep the Autobots busy. I will not be thwarted." The Constructicon nodded cockily and transformed into the Cybertronian sportscar he took as his alternate form.

Megatron walked into a fairly rectangle shaped room which was held up by ornate pillars. Steps lead down to a standing area in the center. Out of the perpetual darkness on the other end of the room, Megatron saw red lines, of Autobot armor, illuminated. The lights powered up and an Autobot soldier approached Megatron.

"Step down, Megatron." The Autobot melee specialist warned. In both hands he held the staff of a sword-shaped red Energon weapon, which looked heavy and damaging. But this did not faze Megatron.

"No Autobot with an over-sized back-scratcher is going to stop me." Megatron said, almost amused as he pulled the Energon mace off his back. The Autobot soldier shifted angrily. "You mock me? I will cut you down to size." With that, the Autobot charged Megatron, surprisingly quickly.

He felt the blade connect and it actually lodged into his armor. Megatron grunted and kicked the Autobot back. The Autobot kept coming, swinging at Megatron's head. Megatron became annoyed and swung the mace, throwing the Autobot into the wall, in a shower of sparks. Megatron shot the Autobot as he was going to get up, and swung the mace through weakened armor, cutting the Autobot in half.

Megatron exhaled and left the Autobot to bleed out Energon as he pushed forward.

In another part of the ship, Dragstrip was taking out Autobot melee specialists from all sides. He spun around with two smoking plasma revolvers, watching another chassis hit the floor in a shower of sparks and pools of Energon. He reloaded and transformed in a flurry of moving parts, speeding away as several Autobots transformed into tanks and pursued.

Megatron entered a new room, optics on the generator there. He shot it into pieces and the tank tracks inside his calves revolved. "The defenses are down. Now you must feed the power back into the station's primary core." Brawl advised.

The Decepticon leader walked down a corridor with cylinders filled with blue glowing liquid on each side. Megatron guessed it was Energon and wondered why so much was on a satellite, but the Energon supplies on Cybertron were depleting steadily.

Dragstrip came from under a small air vent, and transformed, running up the wall and then flipping himself backwards. Everything began to happen slowly. The two Autobots in pursuit transformed as Dragstrip pulled out the two plasma revolvers he had. The Autobots got to their feet as the airborne Dragstrip opened fire, sending orbs of plasma at both targets.

Several shots ripped through the left Autobot's leg, grounding him. The other one was quicker to react and pulled out the laser blaster he carried. Dragstrip, being agile, got under the Autobot's chest and attempted shooting his chestplate out. The other Autobot had got back up and opened fire, hitting his comrade.

Dragstrip pulled out the small plasma mace and hit one of the Energon cylinders, causing the Energon to flood out and hit the one-legged Autobot in the face. The Autobot slipped and the other one went in for the attack. Dragstrip slid under him and took the other Autobot's other leg out, flooring him.

The remaining Autobot tried to shoot Dragstrip down. Dragstrip responded by taking a few hits and then jumping on his enemy's shoulders, pulling both triggers and decapitating the bigger Cybertronian. The chassis hit the floor with Dragstrip and he walked on, spinning both revolvers and retracting them. He followed his leader into another room, where Megatron activated another monitor.

"A large portion of the power has been rerouted, but there must be another breaker somewhere." Barricade spoke this time. Megatron turned and told Dragstrip to check it out.

Dragstrip sprinted down the corridor back to another room, finding a bridge room over a canal of blue Energon. "So much of it..." he said, wondering why and how Energon had come to be on Trypticon. He found the monitor, and tapped a few controls. Brawl spoke to him.

"Power to the core has been restored." As Brawl said this, Dragstrip noticed the room became lighter as energy surged through the walls. "From there you should be able to re-enable the Dark Energon Project." With this information, Dragstrip ran back to the room in which Megatron waited.

Both Decepticons ascended the circular stairs into a similarly shaped room. There, an Autobot melee specialist charged them, swinging the wide blade. Dragstrip ducked under the blade and all of a suddenly turrets opened fired from all around the room. Megatron growled in rage as the defendants of the Space Station jumped down.

He opened fire on the turrets as Dragstrip danced around the Autobot, firing his revolvers periodically. Parts of armour clattered to the floor from all those who fought in the centre. Turrets were destroyed and Megatron, in his rage, pulled out his mace and charged the Autobot Dragstrip had been trying to kill.

He swung the mace as the Autobot dragged his gaze onto him, but the mace was the last thing his enemy saw. Megatron threw the chassis down and stormed over it as he walked towards the door, slowly shifting into Cybertronian tank form. Dragstrip was taking cover behind the chassis, being small enough to use it for cover.

An Autobot dropped down in front of the door, and ordered Megatron to stop. Megatron suddenly accelerated into the soldier, crushing him against the door, which opened. Megatron transformed again, rising up to his full height.

He was outside, above and all around the mystical vortex of space. Far below was the rest of Trypticon and Cybertron. And directly across the primordial courtyard was the entrance to the Dark Energon labatory. Megatron walked forward, feeling a strange power thrum through Trypticon beneath him.

One step, and then another. His destiny was close, at hand. And then the sound of afterburners made him stop and look up. A Cybertronian jet, with white, black, red and blue detail shot past and turned, beginning to morph in mid-air. The wings travelled upwards onto the body and arms folded out, as did legs.

The Cybertronian lowered himself down by using the power from his afterburners. When he spoke, Megatron recognized the arrogant tone to be that of Starscream's. Looking at the true appearance, Megatron didn't know whether to be impressed or disappointed.

"I don't know how _you _managed to make it this far, but your search for power ends here." Starscream warned. On his left hand, a missile launcher appeared, in a storm of armor. Megatron readied his fusion cannon, but still was bothered about using it.

_It would be a shame to bring down a valuable Cybertronian...but the Dark Energon mattered a lot more. _

"I admire your persistance, Starscream, but your microprocessors must be malfunctioning if you think you can defeat me." Megatron said. With that, Starscream opened fire.

Megatron rolled under the streams of missiles and returned fire. Starscream deftly jumped out of the way of the fusion blast and rose up on his afterburners. Megatron knew there would be no close-quarter combat with this Seeker. The leader took a missile to the shoulder but it just bounced off the thick armor, leaving a few dents.

Megatron returned fire, damaging and scratching Starscream's armor. Starscream cursed, glaring first at the wounds and then down at Megatron. "You'll never pass me." Starscream said, as Megatron continued firing, forcing the Seeker to turn into jet form. The vehicular form was triangle in shape, with a cockpit at the front, two stabilizers at the back, and afterburners.

Starscream hit the afterburners and sped out of Megatron's view. The leader tried to turn, but was too late as Starscream strafed him from the heights, knocking him backwards. Megatron slowly morphed into the Cybertronian tank he took as his second form, purple lines on his armour flickering as he hit the floor. The legs swung around and they became the caterpillar tracks of the tank. The armor shifted outwards to become the edge of the tank and the fusion cannon became the main weapon.

Starscream turned for another strafing run and Megatron accelerated towards a ramp on the primordial courtyard, as the Seeker passed beneath him. Megatron transformed again, motion slowing down as he drew out the Energon Mace. Starscream had flipped sides and was transforming, cannons aimed at the airborne Megatron.

The Decepticon leader started his descended and Starscream desperately opened his fires, trying to kick his afterburners into ignition to avoid being hit by Megatron. Too late, as Megatron hit the Seeker and landed on him, forcing both of them to hit the ground in a shower of sparks and steel.

Starscream tried to get up, but he was too weak. Energon spilled out of his mouth, and he tried weakly to grab his Energon Strafer. Megatron loomed over the downed Cybertronian. "So weak." Megatron said, and then kicked the helpless Starscream into the door of the Dark Energon lab. Starscream groaned as he bounced off the thick door.

Megatron prepared his mace for the final blow on the helpless Seeker, but then Starscream, drained of arrogance, started grovelling and begging, on his knees, in front of the Decepticon leader. "Spare me! Spare me, I beg of you! I am of use to you..._master._"

Megatron had stopped dead, pleased to be acknowledged as superior, as master. He contemplated killing Starscream anyway, but his cogs still turned. He had not picked up the tone of Starscream's calculating voice. Megatron retracted the fusion cannon as he looked upon the hapless Decepticon-to-be.

"Serve me, Starscream, and I will not end your pathetic life. Open the door to the Dark Energon, servant..." as Megatron spoke, Starscream glared up. His leader's voice seemed to thrum as if he was the station itself. "...and lead me to my destiny!"

* * *

Starscream lead the way, into a massive, dark, open-spaced room. On the edges were windows, where Megatron could take in the elegance and magnificence of Cybertron...soon to be _his _Cybertron. But his optics rested on the centre of the room. There was a mass an network of pipes, a glowing liquid within them. Starscream stood over the monitor, looking away from Megatron as he pressed it.

The room lit up in a bright purple and Megatron then took in the true power of the Dark Energon. "Marvelous, isn't it!" Starscream said, raising his arms. Megatron, could not find his tongue. The purple aura surged through his armor, lighting him up from the inside. His optics blazed as he beheld his glory.

A slow mechanical sound startled Starscream, who realized Megatron...was laughing. "The power...the power is maginificent! Starscream, you have opened up the way for my might. My strength...to Rule."

Starscream, coming back to his senses, turned his gaze onto his leader. "I'm overjoyed." He said sarcastically, moving away from the monitor.

Soundwave's face appeared on the monitor above the network of pipes and wires. "Lord Megatron, you should test Dark Energon in a controlled experiment. It could prove unstable." Megatron looked upon his second-in-command.  
"Very well, Soundwave. We will test the Dark Energon...back in Kaon."


	4. Testing the Experiment

Deep within the darkness of the Decepticon city, Kaon, Megatron made plans in his throne room, in the presence of his closest allies: Starscream, Soundwave, Brawl, Barricade, and Dragstrip. The rest of his army where away, defending the borders or coordinating attacks across the planet.

Since Starscream had been recruited into the Decepticon cause, the Decepticon symbol had been burned into his wings. His fellow Seekers Thundercracker, Dirge, Ramjet, and Thrust had joined, making up a large number of the Decepticon Airforce.

Starscream had once fought for the Autobots, but he had been demoted from Flight Commander and placed in the charge of Trypticon Station as a punishment. But even since his inclusion into the Decepticon army, he had risen into a position of power. Some Decepticons believed he had only risen to this level by unleashing the Dark Energon for Megatron.

Onslaught, one of Megatron's most trusted field commanders, was fighting at an Autobot compound half the way over the planet, as were a lot of his other trusted Decepticons. Soundwave approached the shape of Megatron, who sat in his thrown made of the chassis of many Autobots. The original throne had been made of ore found deep in Cybertron...before the war had broken out.

"Tests on the newly produced Dark Energon are inconclusive. Live combat could cause unforeseen reaction and instability." Soundwave reported to Megatron. Megatron look troubled, he thought. _I do not wish to lose my soldiers to mere experiments..._

Starscream walked forward, unpermitted to do so. He motioned with his hands towards his leader. "I'm sure our fearless leader would be _more than willing _to accept that risk, Soundwave." Soundwave glared over at Starscream.

"Instability would result in immediate destruction of host." Soundwave said, barely hiding the contempt beneath the electronic synthetics in his voice. The atmosphere in the room intensified; many Decepticons disliked Starscream. The only ones who believed in him were the Seekers.

Starscream was going to use the communication officer's words against him. "Ahhh...are you calling Megatron a coward, Soundwave?!"

It was then Megatron arose from his throne, annoyed at the proceedings. "Enough of this! The Dark Energon does us no good if it destroys our own soldiers in battle. Set up a battle simulation within Kaon Prison, and have technicians standing by in case of any...glitches." With that, Starscream glared at Soundwave victoriously

"Starscream, you can oversee the operation within the prison. Make sure your flight-soldiers are prepared." Megatron said. Soundwave sat down and Starscream's expression fell.

Skywarp and Thundercracker followed Starscream out of the throne room. "Do not fail me." Starscream warned.

* * *

Both of the Seekers stood upon a walkway into the massive circular chamber that made up the sentry area of the Prison. Both Seekers shared an identical appearance to Starscream, but both were different in armor.

Skywarp had very dark purple armor, but the Decepticon symbol glowed brighter on his wings. Thundercracker had white, dark green and turquoise armor and the Decepticon symbol was imprinted into his chest. Both Seekers also had a different armament.

Skywarp had a plasma rifle that was long range and deadly. He had attached a scope to it so he could pick off the enemy at an extreme distance. His close-up weapon was a purple plasma sabre which he sharpened each day. Thundercracker favored his missile launcher and Warhammer.

Both Seekers turned when they heard their leader's voice on the intercom. Neither of them cared much for Megatron, and sometimes Starscream got to them, but they had been following the latter a lot longer. "Alright, Seekers. It's time to test your strength. We've converted this section of Kaon into our own personal training course. Let's see how well you fare in the first tests."

Skywarp looked over the side of the catwalk. Far below, the walls descended into a void. Both knew they could avoid the fall by drifting on their afterburners or transforming into vehicular form. They couldn't see enemies but the catwalks went a far way down. They were on their own: only Starscream to guide them.

Skywarp walked down the Energon catwalk, pausing at each corner. Thundercracker jumped off the catwalk and used his afterburners to get a better view of what was beneath. "Angry Constructicons on the second level." Thundercracker said, flipping into his Cybertronian jet form. Another common appearance was their vehicular form: It was a Cybertronian raptor, made to fly through confined spaces without losing parts.

Skywarp heard them long before he saw them. They were on the catwalk below, yelling up insults. "Fly boys! Let me scratch that armor for you! We'll tear you apart!" Thundercracker sighed, when Skywarp yelled back an insult, and then dropped into the fray.

The Seeker punched the Constructicon who had spoken in the face, knocking some of its part off. Another punch floored the Constructicon, who sputtered Energon. "What were you saying, ground-walkers?" Skywarp warned. Just away from him floated Thundercracker, who had transformed again.

The floored Constructicon tried getting back up, but his fingers were crushed by Skywarp. The other Constructicons drew arms, and continued spitting insults, this time in bad Cybertronian. Skywarp pulled out his plasma launcher, aimed at the tallest one, and fired.

A battle erupted even before the decapitated Constructicon hit the ground. His fellow Constructicons charged Skywarp, wielding all kinds of tools, preparing to break off his armor and tear him apart. Skywarp fired, taking a knee out and laughing maniacally as the Constructicon fell to the ground, groaning.

"I can take them." he said, drawing his sabre and charging the enemy. Thundercracker had disappeared and SKywarp was was slashing through his enemy. All of the Constructicons were too slow. Skywarp dropped onto the catwalk below, hearing more Constructicons incoming. He scanned the monitor there, and saw the layout of the chamber they were in.

That was before a massive flail destroyed the monitor and slid Skywarp across the ground. Skywarp raised his hand to see three finger fall off, and then turned and glared at the Constructicon who stood there. "Wreckage." Skywarp snarled. The Constructicon did not answer, but made to swing at Skywarp with the construction flail he held.

Another Decepticon called Skipjack jumped down and started swinging at the Seeker in rage. _Where had Thundercracker got to?_ He could hear Skipjack's armor rattling as the Constructicon tried another swing. Skywarp drew the sabre and cut the Constructicon's throat. Skipjack still didn't go down. Skywarp tried to kick the raging Constructicon back, and then that's when his sound sensors vibrated.

Skipjack and Wreckage turned, hearing the deafening sound too. Thundercracker was in jet form, afterburners on, powering towards the two violent Constructicons. Skywarp just had time to realize what his comrade was going to do and then jumped into raptor form as Thundercracker rained missiles down on the Constructicons.

The missiles, encased in a purple aura, tore the thick-armored Constructicons to pieces. Skywarp landed as he watched the enemy fly into pieces. Thundercracker landed amid the burning chassis, and said nothing but just motioned for Skywarp to follow. Thundercracker touched a monitor and the door opened, both Seekers ran through into the maze of air vents that awaited them, dodging more Constructicon confrontation.

They passed over Payload, who was in the room directly below, and emerged into a massive underground canyon. It was there Starscream contacted them again. Despite expressing concern over use of the Dark Energon, Starscream almost sounded impressed. "Not too bad, but not perfect either. You should endeavor to use the Dark Energon again further into the prison. Now, traverse this canyon and reached the cells."

Skywarp sighed. "I could put my afterburners out for the guy, he still wouldn't care." Thundercracker was silent: he was one of the only Decepticons who didn't want to fight.

He saw the conflict is the application of chemicals to remove hostility. Before all this, he had been a physicist aboard Trypticon. Skywarp was the bodyguard of Starscream and could get violent if allowed to.

"My scans indicate that the canyon stretches for around 3 miles before we reach the entrance." Thundercracker said, jumping off the shard of rock they stood on and flipping into Raptor form. "Great, three miles of Primus-knows-what, while my afterburners overheat." Skywarp grated, jumping off the shard and following his comrade.

They flew above a black in the dimly lit canyon. Embedded into the walls were bright purple Energon crystals, illuminating the dark space. However, as they flew around the corner, they heard the muted _thump thump thump _ of artillery. Only seconds later, missiles trailing smoke overshot them and they took evasive action.

Metallic spiked orbs dropped from the ceiling and Skywarp said, "Depth charges!"

Explosions rocked both Seekers and they hit the afterburners, trailing purple as the Dark Energon surged through them. "Woah!" Skywarp said, unused to this speed. All around them Depth Charges descended from the ceiling and exploded. It felt as if the whole of Kaon prison was caving on them.

"The door." Thundercracker said. Through all the chaos and falling debris, his scanners picked up a bridge and too its left side, a door into this cellblock. Thundercracker landed lightly while Skywarp landed hard, sliding across the bridge and transforming as he hit the rock wall. Skywarp got up, checking his armor, while Thundercracker opened the door.

Once inside, they were contacted by Starscream once again. "Well done. Now, fight your way through the cellblock. Be warned...Autobot prisoners have been released. Destroy the insects."

The doors opened and they walked in to the brightly lit corridor. On either side were heavy steel doors, to cells. Some were shut, some had been opened. No sign of the escaped Autobots. Until one appeared at the end of the corridor and transformed. "We have Decepticon targets!"

Thundercracker raised his missile launcher and fired. The Autobot took a missile to the arm, nearly dropping his weapon, but continued pushing forward. Skywarp charged the prisoner with his scimitar and slashed through the Autobot's weapon arm and then dropped him, driving the sabre through his spark.

They fought through defense systems and into a massive court room. Reaching the other end, they both victoriously walked through the doors into the prison control room, where Megatron stood at the edge of a balcony with monitors. Megatron addressed the two Seekers.

"Thundercracker. Skywarp. This is a final test of our new Energon. Now get down there and prove the worth of our new technology. Rid the prison gates of the Autobot that stands there." in the centre of the room, the floor shifted to reveal a stairway leading down.

Both Seekers felt a sudden gale pick up as they walked down the stairs away from their leader. They walked down the unfolding stairs onto a circular holographic platform, and looked around.

* * *

The stairs folded back up behind them, and Thundercracker saw it merge into a Decepticon face. The sculpturer had tried to model it on Megatron, but Thundercracker noted the statue didn't look as ugly, even though it would still intimidate any Autobot invaders.

They found no one. The platform was empty. The floor suddenly dissipated from beneath them and fell, both caught by surprise. Skywarp was the first to hit the floor, followed by Thundercracker, who only just managed to ignite his afterburners before he, too, connected with the hard floor.

Skywarp was in the midst of pulling himself back up when a Cybertronian red and grey war truck with the Autobot symbol rammed into him and transformed. Skywarp was flung into the wall with a grunt and lay there, dazed.

The Autobot who got up was Ironhide, all scarred red armour, with black and grey detail, and the front of the truck made up both shoulders. The Autobot Weapons Specialist glared at them with piercing blue optics. "You two were sent down to stop me? You two are rookies. How well do you think you'll do against me, Decepticon punks? Not a scratch on that armor of yours...yet."

Skywarp was enraged. He boosted his afterburners in fury and attempted to ram Ironhide. The Autobot deftly moved out of the way and punched the Seeker in the mouth. Cogs came out of Skywarp's mouth in slow motion as Ironhide's fist connected. Thundercracker kept his gold optics on Ironhide as Skywarp made to pick himself up and charge again.

Ironhide was assessing whether to draw both plasma mortar cannons or attack with the massive club he used. After a decision, he pulled free the bludgeon weapon, which was on the end of a thick pole made of Cybertronian steel. "You have got to be kidding..." Thundercracker said.

Ironhide charged Thundercracker, who jumped and drew his hammer. He dropped back down and struck at Ironhide. The Autobot blocked and tried to strike, but Thundercracker was quicker and managed to parry. Skywarp was circling around Ironhide, Energon leaking from his mouth. He wiped his mouth with the back of a hand and drew his plasma scimitar.

Thundercracker got the long hammer under Ironhide, who locked it there, and then brought a foot down on it. The pole snapped and Thundercracker paused to look at it. Using Thundercracker's consternation to his advantage, Ironhide backhanded the lightweight seeker into the gate into the sewer of Kaon.

Thundercracker got back up and Ironhide pulled a mortar blaster off his back and pulled the trigger, dismissing Thundercracker into the sewers itself. He had taken his attention off the incapacitated Seeker and now turned for Skywarp.

The Seeker was blazing with Dark Energon, golden optics consumed with the purple aura of the essence. Skywarp readied his sabre as if preparing to duel. Ironhide shrugged and raised his mortar pistol on Skywarp and fired.

The shot bounced off the Seeker as if it was a uselessly blank cartridge. The shell bounced along the floor and fell down a shaft in the ground, where it came to rest before the offline Thundercracker. Skywarp laughed, and said, "Really?" before powering up his afterburners and slamming into Ironhide.

Both Cybertronians plunged through several walls before Skywarp transformed and ascended into the skies of Cybertron, which were dark above them. Ironhide hung on for all his armor was worth, trying not to let go of his club.

Deep below, Thundercracker came back online, optics consumed by Dark Energon. His armor was covered in filth and soil from the sewers. He raised his missile launcher and shot the ceiling above. The Dark Energon-empowered missiles tore the ceiling apart and he transformed and went into pursuit.

Ironhide was still hanging on. He was trying to use his club to bring Skywarp down, but the g-force gales was forcing his strong arm back, burdened with the weight of the weapon. All his sound sensors heard was the wind howling all around and his optics were blinded by the light of Skywarp's afterburners.

Skywarp threw through a narrow gap between two surveillance buildings on the roof of Kaon prison and Ironhide nearly came off. Skywarp was trying to scrape the persistent Autobot off via the buildings.

And then from behind Ironhide picked up the roaring sound of another set of afterburners. His sound sensors were crippled as Thundercracker came into view, in Raptor form. Glass shattered in the buildings below and klaxons began wailing.

Through sub-processor communication, Thundercracker told Skywarp his plan. Skywarp gave the plan a green light.

Thundercracker fired flak missiles towards his comrade. The missiles streamed around the buildings and followed Skywarp, gaining. The missiles floated just off the edge of Skywarp's wingspan, and then exploded.

The flak flowed into Ironhide's optics and the club dropped out of his grasp, falling towards the massive prison below. Skywarp transformed in a cloud of shifting armor and as Ironhide began his descent, Skywarp kicked him into one of the taller buildings viciously. Ironhide slid down in a cloud of broken armor, steel, stone and glass. Thundercracker transformed and descended on his afterburners.

Skywarp was there before him, scimitar drawn as he dropped in for the kill. He threw the saber and it lodged between Ironhide's chest and shoulder, pinning him to one of the girders that held up the surveillance block. His eyes were still blazing with the Dark Energon.

"Not so tough now, are we, Ironhide." Skywarp sneered in the Autobot's face. His metallic palms began to crackle with raw energy as he gazed into Ironhide's optics. The Autobot didn't even look scared. "Just missile fodder." Skywarp sneered again, ripping his saber out and seizing the Autobot around the throat.

"You don't even deserve a death by my saber. You're unworthy, Autobyte." Skywarp grinned this time, raising the saber to cut Ironhide's spark out. Ironhide readied himself for the blow, and also readied his fists should the blow fail.

Missiles came from above and knocked Ironhide free of Skywarp's grasp. Ironhide punched Skywarp in the mouth before he fell, dragged down by gravity. "What-?!" Thundercracker came level with Skywarp. "We have expended the Dark Energon. There wasn't much of it to begin the mission with. We need to report back to Soundwave."

Skywarp still glared at his comrade, as the aura in his optics faded. "Ramjet will hunt him down." Thundercracker said, lying easily. Skywarp shrugged him off, glared down at where he thought Ironhide was, transformed, and flew away.

* * *

"Soundwave, report." Megatron said, walking across his throne room, hands behind his back. His Communication's Officer followed him, walking at a slower pace.

"The test was a success, minus the 11 failures." Soundwave said in his flat tone. Skywarp walked forward, still enraged but hiding it from his leader. He spoke. "But we've used nearly all the Dark Energon that was aboard Trypticon. We lack the power to produce more."

Starscream stood behind Megatron. He looked at Skywarp, and then at Megatron's back. _A chance to prove myself. _"He's telling the truth, Megatron. Trypticon's power cells need to be restored before production can resume."

Barricade spoke. "Nothing can generate that amount of power." There was silence in the room, until it was broken by Megatron.

"There _must _be a way, and _you _will find it, Starscream. I'll be in my War Room." with that, Megatron impatiently left. Starscream also took this as his cue to leave, so he and Skywarp exited.

"What? 11 failures? What happened to them?" Barricade said, turning to Soundwave. Brawl had stood over the other side of the room. He sniggered, shaking his head and turning to pet Lazerbeak. The Decepticon Eagle didn't take too kindly to this, and hissed at him warningly.

"They were found wanting." Soundwave said, turning back to his communication panel. Barricade seemed confused. "What does that even mean?"

Soundwave activated a room lockdown and spoke over his shoulder. "Their remains can be found within the prison. Now, sit in the chair Barricade, and I will infuse you with Dark Energon. Failure to comply will be considered an act of treason."


	5. Reactivating the Energon Bridge

**Location: Geosynchronous Energon Bridge Causeway**

Skywarp was speaking to Megatron in his War Room. The War Room was decorated with many different weapons and armor customizations. "Starscream has managed to decrypt some of the ancient Data Files. He claims there's a geosynchronous 'Space Bridge', hidden deep in the planet's core."

Skywarp was still smarting over his indecision in killing Ironhide. Or rather, Thundercracker's intervention. But he was angrier at the way Starscream seemed to bow and scrape to Megatron. Back on Trypticon, the three of them had no masters or gods. They were the gods, and the Dark Energon was theirs to defend.

Megatron arose, looming over the seeking. "You verified this information?" He said in a curt tone. Skywarp answered. "Yes, Megatron. The ancients and Primes channeled power directly from Cybertron's core to Trypticon Station. If we can restore that link, we'll have all the power we need to manufacture the Dark Energon."

On that moment, Starscream flew in and lowered himself down on afterburners. Megatron turned to his third-in-command. "Then it would see you have proven yourself valuable after all, Starscream."

"I assure you, Megatron, that despite our differences, I live only to serve the Decepticon cause." Skywarp rolled his optics. He knew what Starscream's true ambitions were, but he didn't say a thing.

"Then you shall have your chance. Locate the spacebridge and determine how we can reignite the connection to Trypticon." Starscream bowed overdramatically, motioned for Skywarp to follow, and flew away.

* * *

Up in the heights of Trypticon station, two Constructicons worked on a massive set of Energon cylinders.

The larger of the two, a green-armored Constructicon who transformed into a big Cybertronian dump truck, went by the name of Long Haul. His companion Mixmaster transformed into a Cybertronian Energon-mixing truck and had the Decepticon symbol engraved on the mixer itself.

He utilized four rectangular shields in battle, and a massive cannon which had been modified by Brawl. Despite the enmity between Combaticons and Constructicons, their military counterparts had armed them well.

Long Haul gazed up at one of the main monitors nearby. "Trypticon has been asleep for a very long time..." He mused.

* * *

The group of Combaticons had entered a big monitor room beneath ground level. Brawl was leading them. Starscream hovered down and stood next to the massive set of monitors, bathed in the blue light.

"Good, you made it." Starscream said, as if he were speaking to a group on degenerate fembots. "I can get you access to the rest of the surface from here." He said. Brawl noted uncomfortably how Starscream always used hand gestures.

Onslaught, a bigger Combaticon that transformed into an assault truck, walked over. "Vortex is watching the exit and Blast Off is gonna keep his eyes on _him. _It's just you, me and Swindle." Onslaught said. As he did, he slung his heavy chain gun onto his shoulder. He couldn't wait to kill.

By the way his comrade said _him, _Brawl guessed Onslaught spoke of Starscream. "You're not going to help?" Brawl growled, turning his gold gaze onto Starscream. His optics were hidden behind a gold Combaticon visor. On his back where two plasma cannons, which he could detach and use as weapons anytime. His main weapon was the Energon chaingun on his arm.

The tank tracks made up his shoulders and lower legs, and he had very few purple Energon markings. His armor was very dark, darker than the other Combaticons and plain. If they had been infused with Dark Energon, they would glow with the purple aura the liquid permeated. But the Combaticons, who were able to run on very little, pushed away the chance to be infused with it.

Onslaught, on the other hand, was tall. His armour was black, grey and had blue camouflage on some areas. His visor, like most other Combaticons, was silver, and he was heavily armed. Blast Off had a purple visor and strange brown and copper armor. He was a flight Combaticon who transformed into a Cybertronian Combat Raptor and also armed with an Energon chain gun.

Vortex had red chest armor detail, and the rotors folded on his back. He used the rotors as combat knife and transformed into a Cybertronian Attack Copter.

The final member of the Elite Combaticon team was Swindle, purple visored who transformed into a Cybertronian Humvee and had a selection of plasma UZIs modified by Soundwave.

They had brought with them a cohort of green-armored Combaticon grunts, who were ready to deal the pain as Brawl, Onslaught, and Swindle lead the way.

Onslaught watched Starscream crouch slyly and say, "Surely my services are best used preventing you from being ambushed from behind...? I'll unlock the door so you can proceed...All Hail Megatron!" Starscream said, although Brawl swore the words caught in his voice transmitter.

The three Combaticon elites locked and loaded as the hydraulic door on their left began lowering slowly. Starscream worked at the monitor.

"You degenerate morons look as if you're offline. Wake up!" Brawl said, firing his minigun. Shells clattered across the floor and even Starscream jumped. The Seeker glared at Brawl and Onslaught laughed.

The door was lowered, and the atmosphere in the room was cut as Brawl said, "To battle!" and the halls were filled with the sound of heavy stomping feet.

* * *

The cohorts had slowed and Brawl motioned to a Combaticon to check the monitor. "Sir, yes sir!" the Combaticon said, and ran over to the monitor. "Sir...I don't know how to operate it."

All three of the Elites paused, and Brawl walked over. "A tool would say that. Are you a tool?"  
"Sir, no sir!"  
"No, you damn right. You are a Combaticon! Use your brain and thought sensors next time, soldier!"  
"Sir, no-I mean, yes sir!"

Brawl scanned the monitor as the Combaticon he had just berated remained at attention.

"There are more of these bridge rooms, more security measures to shoot up. Where are the Autobots?" Brawl mused. And then his comm clicked and Barricade spoke.

"The underground access is dead ahead of your position. You'll have to make your own way through."

The team of three Elites and ten grunts entered a big room, separated into smaller sections by Energon canals. There were no bridges in a straightforward route, but the bridges were far to either side of them and they would have to walk across treacherous ledges.

"Follow me." Swindle said, going first. Brawl went second, and then the grunts, while Onslaught took up rearguard.

They were making slow progress, weighed down by their heavy armament. Brawl was becoming impatient and he could feel tension filling his armor, weighing him down even more.

He heard crumbling masonry and turned just as an absent-minded Combaticon slipped. The grunt dropped his plasma rifle and it sailed down towards the calmness of the Energon canal below, instantly disintegrating as it hit the glowing liquid.

An arm reached out, caught the falling Combaticon grunt, and hauled him up. Onslaught dropped him on his feet, and said, "I won't be there to catch you next time, grunt." Onslaught nearly threw a joke in to lighten up the atmosphere, but his mind was also distracted.

They passed over the first bridge, second bridge, and got to the beginning of the third bridge above the third canal. They could hear the pounding of artillery already, the sound of gunfire, missiles, Autobots and Decepticons killing each other.

Suddenly, their attention was brought to the brown atmosphere above as Autobot gunships flew overhead, quickly followed by the Seekers Thundercracker, Dirge, Skywarp, and Thrust. Brawl nearly jumped for joy when he heard the amplified sound of explosions.

They descended stairs, confronting no more security systems or any Autobots. Obviously they had not made it this far. They entered a long outside courtyard filled with fallen walls and rubble. "This is meant to be a war!" Brawl yelled, kicking rubble and reloading his chaingun.

Barricade contacted them again. "There are two ways to get to the underground access tunnels. The first has reduced enemies but is more difficult to navigate. The second is just the opposite...good enough for you, Brawl."

"Split up." Onslaught said. "Send 8 of the grunts through the...hard to navigate building in front of us. We take the other two, and go through the hostile path." Swindle wondered at this, but the designated leader of the grunts said "Sir, yes sir!" and so placed explosives on a door across the courtyard.

The other five walked on down the courtyard, skirting around rubble. Shots rang out and sparks bounced off the wall next to Brawl's head. Onslaught spun both miniguns out.

Cybertronian cars, marked with Autobot symbols, descended from overhead ramps and the Autobots transformed in mid-air. The cannons on Brawl's back fired and several of the attackers were dead before they could reach the ground. A Cybertronian truck transformed over the other end of the courtyard, where a Decepticon gunship had crash-landed.

The truck transformed and fired a hail of missiles. Swindle forward rolled as shots bounced off his armor and he summoned his plasma rifle. "Sir, we are receiving comms from the other team! They are under heavy fire and need assistance!"

"They are Combaticons. They will handle it or die trying!" Onslaught replied, miniguns blazing. The Combaticon who had just spoken got a missile to the leg, and he groaned as it came apart and he fell, bleeding out Energon. Brawl was firing round after round.

An Autobot jumped onto Swindle and tried to rip the plasma rifle out of his grip. Swindle let it go, and pulled out his combat knife, slamming it through the Autobot's skullplate, and threw the chassis to the floor. The Autobot truck charged and Brawl summoned his Energon , growling like a beast as he charged his enemy.

They connected in an explosion of sparks and Brawl brought the warhammer down on the Autobot's leg. When it didn't break, he reversed it and brought it up into the elbow joint, disconnecting it. Brawl emitted a laugh as the Autobot tried to throw a punch, and kicked his opponent back and raised his weapon.

Onslaught seized the one standing Combaticon and pulled him out of enemy fire, and then fired missiles at the Autobots who had gathered on a roof nearby. The roof disappeared in an explosion, and Onslaught told the grunt to help his downed comrade.

Brawl brought the hammer down. Swindle had stopped as an Autobot fell dead at his feet, and watched Brawl bring the hammer down again. Black smoke created a group of clouds above the courtyard and Onslaught watched the Autobots retreat, like cowards. Brawl brought the hammer down a final time, and stowed it away. He was after his retreating enemy with the chaingun, firing erratically. He was _beserk._

Onslaught realized both grunts had been slaughtered in the breach, and the other grunts who had gone the hard-to-navigate building probably hadn't survived. "They don't make them like they used to." Onslaught said flatly, and followed Swindle and Brawl in assault truck form.

Swindle and Onslaught found a blasted-open door leading into a high-ceiling group of corridors, littered with dismembered Autobots. Deep within, they heard Brawl yelling as he killed and slew. "Get readyfor an Onslaught." the Combaticon said, playing on words.

He ran in and followed Brawl's trail of destruction. Swindle made not comment and decided to just walk after them.

Brawl smashed the chaingun into an enemy's face, dropped the weapon and punched the Autobot repeatedly, breaking the face into scrap metal. _Similar to how the Autobot Centurion had smashed the Constructicon's skull in those eons ago._

Onslaught drove through the enemy, breaking them apart. Their futile attempts to open fire were stopped when the vehicle ploughed through them in an Onslaught. Swindle was shooting from the entrance. The battle was over before it had begun.

Brawl retrieved his minigun and decided to shoot the walls. "He's lost it, like Bonecrusher..." Swindle said.  
"On task, Brawl." said Onslaught.  
"For sure."  
"Watch our flank."  
"Yes, sir. _sir._"

Onslaught scanned the only monitor in the room, ignoring Brawl's taunt. The Combaticon had calmed down since the last Autobot had fallen. But they found nothing on the monitor save an outline, and none of the Combaticons could make sense of it.

Barricade contacted them once more, aware of their progress but distracted. "Access to the core of Cybertron is two sectors from here. The control room will be heavily guarded when you reach it. Good luck."

Onslaught looked at the monitor, and Brawl shot it, muttering "Useless."

"Combaticons, we roll now." With that, all three of them transformed and moved out.

* * *

They entered a big flag room, and on each side hung Autobot banners. Onslaught was the first to transform, telling Brawl to check his anger. "We must be in the second sector. We lost those Autobytes back there and we are meant to be the slowest. Idiots."

Swindle transformed and climbed onto one of the archways, reloading his plasma rifle. Brawl stood directly in it. "This is one of the switches we need to deactivate the forcefield guarding...that there, door."

Brawl hit it, but the forcefield only darkened: it did not dissipate entirely. "Wait here, I'll look for the other switch." Swindle said, jumping down and jostling past Brawl to find the other switch.

Brawl and Onslaught did not talk, but Onslaught could tell Brawl was seething and his sensors were itching, at who Swindle had compared him to. He knew Brawl was going to do something when their objectives were reached, and he wondered how he still had control over the Combaticon Elites.

The forcefield dissipated and moments later Swindle reappeared, yellow armor scarred with plasma wounds.

They made their way into an elevator section, and Onslaught paused. His sound sensors picked up a hydraulic sound, and he saw the elevator coming down. "Move in to cover!" Onslaught said, hiding around the corner from the elevator door. Swindle jumped over empty crates and powered up his plasma rifle.

But Brawl just stood there.

Onslaught's optics trained on the numerals above the elevator. 5...6...7...

It only had to reach 11 before whoever it was stepped out and laid waste. 8...9...10...

Onslaught prepared one of his miniguns. Brawl was still stood motionless. _11._

_Elevator stopped. _

The doors opened, and Onslaught jumped out to walk right into Megatron. Brawl immediately said, "Lord Megatron." nodding. Swindle rose up from cover and also addressed his leader. Onslaught made an apology and made room as Soundwave and Barricade also stepped out, followed by a few soldiers.

"Let us proceed." Megatron ordered, drawing his mace.

The doors to a massive courtyard opened and everything seemed ominously silent as Megatron walked out, flanked by his Combaticons and commanders. A fallen pillar blocked their right-hand view, but their left was clear. Nothing.

A blue Cybertronian police car was seen on a bridge far above, in the dimness of the light descending from the surface. It seemed to travel on a bridge of invisible air as it descended, shifting into a humanoid shape.

The Autobot hit the floor lightly and rose. "Stop right there, Megatron. The core is off-limits to both factions."

"Which explains why an Autobot is telling us this." Barricade said sarcastically. The Autobot he addressed went by the name of Bluestreak.

"Silence, Barricade. You may not know who I am, Autobot, but I am going to open that door and enter the core. Whether or not I'll walk over your chassis in the process is up to you." Megatron said in a deadly tone of voice.

Bluestreak was unfazed. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe appeared next to their leader. Sideswipe had crimson and silver armor, but his twin had orange armor and strange-colored optics. Both converted into lightly armored vehicles, similar to a military buggy, and both were adapted to skate.

Megatron knew what this meant; Bluestreaker was unmoved by Megatron's threat. "Decepticons, attack!"

The scene exploded into chaos as Autobots opened fire on Decepticons. Soundwave and Barricade remained back as the firefight became more frenetic. Another Decepticon soldier fell dead.

Another platoon of Autobot soldiers arrived, to guard the control room on the right side of the courtyard. Soundwave and Barricade walked over, amid all the fighting and plasma bolts. Neither had weapons drawn as they approached the new platoon.

Megatron spun around with his mace, sending a flaming body over the heads of its comrades. Bluestreak turned and rested his eyes on Megatron. Drawing a flail, he rushed the Decepticon leader. Megatron laughed as the flail struck, and made to back-hand Bluestreak, who was too agile.

Reinforcements arrived, but from the Decepticon side. Vortex and Blast Off landed heavily, with Starscream and his two lieutenants appearing a second later.

The platoon in front of the doors raised their weapons, and the discs on Soundwave's forearms started to glow a piercing blue. He blasted the platoon with energy as they fired, killing have of the platoon into spare parts. Barricade opened the door and the communications officer walked in.

Sunstreaker skated across the courtyard, using his trident to behead three Decepticon Combaticons. He jumped like a spring onto the downed pillar and shot Megatron in the back with a plasma pistol. Megatron turned to deliver a few shots of his own, but he was too slow.

Brawl was kicked in the face by Sideswipe, who then tripped Onslaught up and grappled with Swindle. "I've got this." Vortex said. Sideswipe had knocked Swindle to the ground and turned to receive a face full of plasma, which threw him part-way across the courtyard. Sideswipe was up again and into the breach.

A Cybertronian, who had heard the commotion but was tapping in a frenzied pace on the monitors, turned to acknowledge Soundwave's presence. Soundwave's discs were crackling once more, ready to fire. "Move away from the controls, or you shall be eliminated." The Cybertronian dropped his blaster and was restrained by Barricade as Soundwave stopped the shutdown protocol and set to opening the massive gateway to the Core.

Megatron loomed over Bluestreak, who had put up a good fight so far, but one arm was hanging off. "You'll never make it to the Core. There are too good soldiers to stop you. One will surely put you out of action, Megatron."  
"Oh, too many good soldiers? They will all die. Just like _you._"

With that, the Decepticon leader raised his mace.

The alarms went off and seemed to echo through the network of bridges, to the surface of Cybertron above, almost hauntingly, as the door to the Core opened.

"Autobots, protect the door!" Sunstreaker said, firing at Brawl and Blast Off as he skated through them. It was then he locked optics with Starscream. A grin descended on the Seeker's sly face.

Brawl got up and tried to decide which Autobot to pursue. He saw Sideswipe atop the fallen pillar, trying to rally the scattered Autobots. An Autobot in car form transformed to meet his fist. He pulled a cannon off his back, shot the enemy point-blank through the head, drew the other cannon and fired at Sideswipe.

The shot knocked the Autobot of the pillar. "Combaticons, after Sideswipe!" Brawl yelled, transforming into tank form.

Megatron lowered his mace, looking up from the shattered body of Bluestreak. He reached in and tore the spark out, and then tossed it down at Sunstreaker's feet. "Autobots, retreat!" Sideswipe yelled over the chaos.

Sunstreaker picked up the spark of his friend, and glared at Megatron. "This isn't over." He transformed, and pulled away, following his brother as the handful of Autobots retreated towards a spiralling-upwards platform. The Combaticons had opened fire on the supports, trying to bring it down. But the Autobots had long disappeared.

* * *

Starscream approached Megatron through the dead bodies and black smoke, eyes still on where Sunstreaker had disappeared. Soundwave reported to Megatron.

"Core has been reached, Megatron."  
"Excellent. How long before you've restored the link to Trypticon?"  
"Decepticon presence has activated latent Cybertronian defenses. Recalculating approach options. Autobot presence also affects opposition."

Megatron became impatient. "Why were you not prepared for this eventuality?!"

Starscream spoke, making his leader turn to address him. "There is no way someone who hasn't studied the Ancient files could have been prepared, Megatron."  
"Does that mean you think you can find a safer way inside?"  
"If one exists, I shall find it, my lord."

Megatron made a quick decision. His attention was briefly caught by Brawl's raised voice. "Very well. Soundwave, see to it that Starscream has everything he needs to succeed...and no one to blame but himself if he fails." With that, Megatron stalked off, kicking the dead chassis of Bluestreak out of his way. Starscream glared after his leader, looked at Soundwave, and then transformed and flew away...in search of his target.

Brawl argued with Swindle. "Bonecrusher? You compare me to that, junkyard worker?"  
"You are just as angry."  
"But no good at combat."  
"You haven't seen him. Your faces look alike. Even your optics are the same distance apart. Wait, I can't remember if Bonecrusher also wears a gold visor..."

Brawl lost it and swung for Swindle, who took the hit unexpectedly and slid backwards. Before Brawl could deliver a blow with his warhammer, Onslaught came in and swung his fist into Brawl's head, bringing him down.


	6. Activating the Uplink

**Location: Geosynchronous Bridge Causeway**

Starscream spoke to Megatron, who had once again returned. "Under normal circumstances we wouldn't stand a chance against these defenses. But with the Dark Energon, we are stronger than ever!"

"Soundwave, what is the status of our supply?"  
"Dark Energon stores are at 20%. Power cells of Trypticon have been exhausted."

Starscream noted the communications officer was not present and came to the somewhat uncomfortable conclusion that Soundwave was in orbit in satellite form above Cybertron, speaking on several different channels and frequencies at one time.

Starscream looked his leader in the optics, gesturing with his hands. "I'll need every but if it if we're going to succeed. I've outlined a course that skirts the worst of their threats...but we won't get a second chance."

They stood on the edge of the courtyard they had stood in just hours before, when Bluestreak had been defeated and the Autobots had reluctantly retreated. Barricade suddenly stormed up to Starscream, wondering where the Seeker had been when the battle had erupted.

"Why should we gamble everything on your word, Starscream? If we don't manage to activate the bridge, it will have all been for nothing and we'll have lost the Dark Energon!"

Starscream turned on Barricade with sudden fury. "If not for me you wouldn't even know how to make it, you scrapyard reject! If you want to succeed, you will do as _I say_. Because unlike you, _Barricade_, I do not plan for failure!" With that, Starscream and the two Seekers who always seemed to be at his shoulders looked for the Energon Injection Machine.

Barricade looked like he was going to reply, but he kept his voice transmitter offline left with Megatron to organize an infiltration group. A group of Combaticon grunts were creating a diversion in the main area of the causeway.

The Seekers were flying in the network of canyons above the uplink chambers, while the Combaticon Elites were going in to find the uplink itself. With the plans laid out, Megatron returned to the _Divergence _to watch over his team's progress, with Blackout and Grindor.

* * *

Starscream spoke. His voice was amplified frighteningly by the power of the Dark Energon surging through his frame. "We should be close. Reactivating the Energon Bridge is our primary objective. Then we can siphon Cybertron's energy to power Trypticon Station."

With that, he jumped off the glowing bridge he stood on, slowly drifting into Raptor form as his Seekers followed. His engines screamed as they boosted through the thick network of hanging wires, and the squadron followed him, the sounds of their engines echoing far through the canyons, warning the Autobots what was coming upon them.

Far below, the five Combaticon Elites made their way through a factory, through heat pipes. The sixth Elite, Depthcharge, was repairing weapons back in Kaon.

Blast Off had refused to fly with the Seekers, instead wanting to stay with his team in the assault. He also disliked Starscream, and made no effort to hide it. The pipes, big enough to be classed as corridors, were empty, save a few turrets which the Combaticons destroyed easily.

Blast Off jumped off the ground and transformed, into something that looked like a cross between a Cybertronian Raptor and a Hawk. He zoomed down the corridor and the other four ran to pursue their comrade.

The room they entered had a heater at the other end, shaped like a cauldron, where intruders were kept. Autobots dropped down and were quickly dispatched by Brawl's chaingun and Onslaught's miniguns.

The light in the room suddenly went dark and Brawl went into a crouch, reloading. "Quiet." Onslaught said. His sound sensors picked up nothing of interest. Vortex hovered next to the doors, landed gently, and pressed the monitor a number of times.

Onslaught's armor clinked as he walked over to the door. He was investigating a wound in his exoskeleton. "Let's move." He said, and then got a comm from Soundwave, across two different frequencies. Onslaught's sound sensors vibrated. "Warning The air in the next room is superheated. Recommended solution is to transform and stay on the platform."

"Constructicons, we roll." Onslaught said, his head disappearing backwards, as the wheels came to replaced. The arms folded inwards, and the armor shifted around the frame beneath. Vortex jumped off the floor, flipping backwards as his armor extended over his head into a viewplate and the blades on his back extended into rotors, which immediately started to spin.

They entered a massive chamber covered below in lava, to be met with the sounds of exploding machinery. A massive, bright generator filled the room on their right, with levitating drones and machinery, and there was one single catwalk to drive across.

The sound of engines and caterpillar tracks cut through the explosions as the Combaticons revved up and drove across the catwalk at increasing speed. Explosions grew louder as the catwalk began being lit up from explosions. Onslaught realized the explosions were _focused. _

He transformed, rolling along the catwalk in a ball as an explosion went off directly beneath him, and came to his feet. There were Autobot mortar teams on the catwalks above. Brawl and Swindle sped past after Blast Off, but Vortex ascended. Onslaught raised his plasma shotgun and pumped it as a mortar lit his armor. And then he fired.

The catwalk seemed to disentegrate slowly. Vortex had transformed, boosted off the catwalk, fired his plasma UZI point-blank, and was slowly converting into Attack Helicopter form.

Both the Combaticons made it to the door as the room behind became furious with the heat of explosions. Onslaught raised his arms to see the armor melting into a gloop. Vortex careered out of control and hit the wall, transforming and sliding down. "That room caused a lot of damage." Onslaught warned. Two of Vortex's rotors had melted slightly.

"We need to move. No time to repair." Brawl said, running on ahead.

* * *

Starscream broke away from the main squadron of Seekers, sending an EMP burst to sever communication, and transformed, landing on a set of broken pipes. _Sunstreaker. _"Once I have a target, it is to be eliminated."

Starscream had his own agenda which deviated from planning to overthrow Megatron. This agenda was along the lines of assassination: to kill every Autobot warrior one by one. By bringing their heads and sparks back to Kaon, Starscream would show he was a focused and dedicated leader, not a brutal leader like Megatron.

The Decepticons would begin to favor Starscream, and the Autobots would begin to seriously fear him, perhaps leading to drastic action against the future leader. The Decepticons would rally to Starscream's cause while they seemed to forget Megatron. Perhaps peace would be obtained by speaking with the Autobots, instead of being ruthless like the old ways of Megatron.

Starscream's optics clicked as he sought his target, through many walls. The Dark Energon only enhanced his power. And then he found the thermal signature, via armor, weapon and spark heat. It was either Sideswipe or Sunstreaker: both were brothers, twins, who shared the same body type. The Autobot drew a trident-shaped weapon and Starscream then knew it was his target.

He transformed, dulling the sound of his engines, and maneuvered through the network of tunnels leading to the Autobot he was hunting down. But the glow of the Dark Energon permeating through his armor was enough to give him away and a hail of missiles ascended to meet him.

He took evasive action, spinning around in a storm as the missiles passed around him. He fired missiles down the the canyon, sending the floor into a firestorm, and transformed in midair, arms spinning out clutching both Energon swords, descending into the storm.

He hit Sunstreaker at terminal velocity, breaking the chestplate armor into fragments and throwing the Autobot back. Sparks danced across Starscream's vision and he landed, sliding across the metallic ground underneath.

He rose up, optics flooded with Dark Energon that pierced the sudden darkness all around. In both hands he held the blazing purple Energon swords and his armor made a deep whirring sound as he walked over to Sunstreaker. The Autobot was on fire, but alive. He rose up, dropping the missile launcher from his devastated arm, and pulled out the trident.

"Persistence will only get you so far, Decepticon." said Sunstreaker, in one final valiant attempt. Starscream's hailfire had devastated him beyond repair, his once orange armor stained black and cracked, fractured. He readied his trident for throwing, optics on Starscream.

"But surely the universe favors those who persist." Starscream said, walking forward.

* * *

Brawl placed the explosives on the door. "Breaching, breaching!" Swindle yelled, taking cover with the plasma rifle. They knew what awaited them on the other side of the door.

The door came apart into molten metal and Autobots on the other side yelled, "Incoming!" the pieces of door sliced through the protective forcefield on the other side, clanging to the floor.

Onslaught was the first in, plasma shotgun blasting shots every three seconds. An Autobot came apart right next to the forcefield, exoskeleton breaking as the enemy seemed to melt into the plasma wall. Brawl sprinted over to the generator, heavy footfalls shaking the ground, and jumped onto it, throwing a plasma grenade into the centre before jumping off it.

The generator burst into the faces of two Autobot melee specialists. One flew into pieces and the other dropped its weapon, hands going to his face. Vortex drew one of the blades as a sword and decapitated the blinded Autobot.

Blast Off dropped from the ceiling and they entered the next area, walking on pipes above a deep black void. Blast Off led the team, entering an experimentation room with three incubation cylinders in the centre. They were devoid of any life, but Brawl shot them anyway. The sound of cracking glass echoed throughout the room and Onslaught glared at his second-in-command.

They then entered a big room with lavender-tinted light descending from square holes in the ceiling, and another light source from a massive electricity cylinder on the wall on the other side of the room. Neutrons crackled around the cylinder and Onslaught regarded it warily, warning his fellow Combaticons not to go near it.

Brawl pointed at the generators to their left, and Onslaught gave him the go ahead to demolish them.

But as the first generator came apart in Brawl's hands, the room went red. Swindle spun around to see the door they had come through lock down ominously, and alarms then sounded.

The warhammer came off Brawls' back and Vortex drew two blades as the heavy shutters opposite the electricity cylinder started lifting. From underneath the shutters Onslaught saw the heavily-armored shadows of Autobot Defenders.

Blast Off received reports through three different channels; the ramp was beginning to lower. "Onslaught...Reports coming in. Blackout incoming. Support...Thrust has been killed by Silverbolt, Starscream missing...continue on to control room." Onslaught regarded the flight Combaticon.

"If Blackout is giving us support, that doesn't mean anything good." And then the room went into a complete blackout.

* * *

The Autobot Defender loomed over the several Autobot gunners that stood around him. "The Decepticons have breached the outer defense! They are going for the uplink!"

A Cybertronian Interceptor, completely silver, traced its way to the platform they stood on, and a figure seemed to break out through its armor in midair and float down. The armor followed the figure, coagulating with the skeleton to form Silverbolt. The Autobot's gold-blue optics rested on the Defender.

"Thrust is dead, but the other Seekers were hot on my six. I didn't see Starscream leading them...they seem disorganized."

"We have a group of Combaticons, trying to reach the uplink. The Seekers were some kind of diversion." The Defender said.

"Or way of forceful entry." Silverbolt mused. That moment, the sound like thunder made all of the Autobots on the defense platform turn. "I'll defend the Uplink. You, take a squad and stop them in the cylinder room. They are trying to get through the forcefield. And be warned, they are empowered with Dark Energon."

* * *

Onslaught's dulled optics picked up the bright light of Energon and Plasma shields, in red, blue or yellow with Autobot symbols, and also the storm of electricity surrounding the pillar. His HUD locked onto the six Autobot Defenders, symbols flashing into his optic, and targeted them.

_They didn't know how dead they were. _

He saw the flash of Brawl's hammer against a shield and the sound of shells from Swindle's direction. There was confusion from the Autobot quarter; they couldn't see who they were fighting. A shield disintegrated and the Autobot drew a massive hammer, swinging.

It hit Brawl and swung him into one of the surviving generators. Swindle ducked under the hammer-swinger and pushed him back towards the cylinder. Onslaught felt an idea slip into his head, the sound of crashing metal distracted him as Blast Off converted into jet form.

"Push them back in the neutron cylinder! I will go for the door, the flow will overcharge their shields. Go, go, go!"

The Combaticons pushed the Autobots back, firing weapons while Onslaught transformed and went for the now closed shutters. He was going to ram the shutters apart. Bullets danced overhead and the shutters drew nearer, the alarm winding down.

The shutters came apart around him, he felt shards bounce across his armor, and the front broke out into his robot form as he forward rolled into the massive chamber. A platform extended to the other side, which seemed to house a control room. Below the platform lay a massive pool of lava, which proved they must be in the molten sector of the core.

The beginning of the Energon bridge, known as the uplink, was a massive metal structure in the dead centre of the room. Steel girders lead outwards from it, so that mechanics and technicians could repair or update the uplink manually. Behind him, the Combaticons fought the Defenders in the room. He could hear blasts of Dark Energon.

He looked at the monitors, realizing that activating it would activate the uplink. "Activating uplink of Energon bridge." He pressed the multitude of blue symbols in the top-right corner and there they converted to purple.

A massive blast of light made Onslaught shield his optics, and when he looked back at the structure, the metal itself turned to chrome and began burning as purple Energon began surging through the steel. The Dark Energon turned into a beam and Onslaught felt the Energon within his armor and body reacting. The beam blasted through the shaft at the roof of the chamber.

Onslaught heard heavy footsteps from behind as the Elites walked out. Brawl threw down a Defender's shield, the arm still hanging from the handle, bleeding Energon. They all turned to Onslaught as Megatron communicated. The sound of satisfaction was heavy in his tone. "The power has been rerouted to the Energon Bridge. Now you can manually connect to Trypticon Station, and the Energon shall be ours!"

Onslaught tapped another set of symbols and the Energon Bridge, the beam, started darkening. He could feel even gravity seeming to give way beneath the power.

The beam reached up through the shaft and exploded out into the surface of Cybertron, rising continuously to the looming shape of Trypticon Station in the atmosphere. "Excellent. The power is flowing directly into Trypticon Station." Onslaught and the Elites turned as they heard a continous _thump thump thump _sound emanating from one of the shafts, the sound of missiles tearing through metal.

In the background, Megatron was still speaking over the comm, but none of the Combaticons were listening. Onslaught sent hand-signals to Brawl and Swindle, sending them


End file.
